Two Angels
by TheOneAndOnlyT87
Summary: [JaffarNino] She had the soul and innocence of an angel...he was the Angel of Death. This is the story of how their lives became inextricably entwined.
1. Assassin

Hey there, it's TheOneAndOnlyT, and this is _Two Angels_, which I'm sure a lot of you have been looking forward to. For those of you that don't know, this is a Jaffar-centered story about his experiences with Nino. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get on with the story!

**Chapter One**  
**Assassin**

He was waiting.

The great, green stone and enormous wyrm-shaped statues of the Dragon's Gate would have seemed majestic to anyone beholding it for the first time. No human could see this spectacle of architecture without being impressed.

Except for him.

His eyes did take in the surroundings—but only so that he might see places to conceal himself, to remain unnoticed until he was needed.

He stood in one of those places at that very moment, in the shadow of a pillar that seemed to stretch upwards forever. His eyes were focused on the two people standing in the light, his gaze upon them so intense that it seemed he could not sense anything outside of them. Yet he could sense anything around him; the softest footfall would not go unnoticed by his ears.

He was an assassin. More than that, he was the perfect assassin. His incredible skill in the killing arts had earned him the title of "Angel of Death," though titles meant nothing to him. No matter how well-defended or alert his target was, if he was told to kill someone, that person would be dead within the night.

He had another target now, the woman standing several feet directly in front of him, his presence unknown to her. Her medium-length violet-red hair whipped about her shoulders as she shook her head furiously, her mouth moving erratically, shouting out fearful words that the assassin did not hear. Her crimson eyes sparked with determination as she suddenly thrust her hand into her purple cloak, drawing out a silver sword.

The other person, the man Jaffar knew as Ephidel, his master's subordinate, did not flinch. His jet-black hair, tied into a ponytail, framed a face with glittering golden eyes that seemed almost amused by the appearance of the weapon. His mouth moved, speaking one word—the word the assassin had been waiting for, his name.

"Jaffar!"

He took one step forward, into the light, so that the woman might be frightened by his appearance—it apparently had the desired effect, as the woman whipped around, then her eyes widened and she stepped backwards as she realized that she was looking at her death. The assassin's dark-skinned body was covered by black pants and a shirt of the same color with a brown cape attached to the back. He had a brown bandana tied about his forehead, so that his spiky hair, which had the color of dried blood, would not fall into his eyes, which were the same shade of red.

Ephidel spoke again, a smug tone in his voice. "This woman is a traitor, Jaffar," he explained.

"No, that's not true!" the woman screamed as Jaffar took another step closer.

"Oh, but it is," Ephidel responded. "You have your _weapon_ drawn, Leila, and you expect me to believe that you have not turned against us?"

Jaffar heard none of her protests. Drawing two daggers from the twin sheaths at each side of his waist, he stopped a few feet away from her, and he spoke.

"The punishment for traitors is death."

His voice was deep, flat and expressionless. It was also scratchy, because he rarely felt the need to use it—he mainly spoke to inform his targets of their sentences.

The woman Leila stepped backwards and put her hands up in a futile attempt to defend herself, but it was too late. With amazing agility, Jaffar leapt forward and slashed once with each of his daggers before even hitting the ground.

Leila screamed and collapsed to the ground. She then whispered something that would have been inaudible to the assassin had his senses not been trained far beyond that of an average person.

"Matthew...I'm sorry..."

Jaffar looked down at his latest kill as blood began to pool around her lifeless form. He did not feel any horror at taking another's life, nor did he feel any form of pleasure at what he had done. He felt no emotion whatsoever. He had simply done what he had been told to do.

"Excellent work, Jaffar," he heard Ephidel say smugly. "Your power is beyond compare."

Jaffar gave no response, as the man's words meant nothing to him unless it was another assignment.

"But your work is not done yet," Ephidel went on, and at this Jaffar turned to him, staring at the man with an expressionless gaze that would have terrified anyone who had never seen it before. The man, however, paid no notice and continued. "We are expecting an attack soon on this location. The enemy leader is searching for his father, and though our soldiers can easily stop him, we must always prepare for the worst."

The black-haired man pointed to a vast set of stairs at one end of the room. "If, by chance, he and his men make it inside the Dragon's Gate, they will have to climb these stairs to reach the portal. Wait here. If the enemy comes through here, do not reveal yourself. There is no route away from the portal except these stairs. If the enemy reaches the portal, you will stop them when they attempt to leave. Do you understand?"

Jaffar understood perfectly. "Yes," he replied.

"Good," Ephidel responded. He turned to Leila's body. "Now, I know just what to do with the body of this traitor." He stretched out his arm towards her body, then raised it slightly. Slowly, the lifeless body rose off the floor and began to float in the air. "I will inform you if the enemy has been defeated before reaching here," he added. "Otherwise, remain alert." He then left the room, magically floating Leila's body in front of him.

Jaffar concealed himself in the shadows of the room and waited.

--

He did not know how long he had been waiting there, but it mattered nothing to him. For Jaffar, this was just another assignment. Another assignment that he simply carried out, without any moral qualms or resentments.

He never had any reason to refuse an assignment given to him. This was not because he was afraid of showing disagreement to his master, as he never held any disagreements either.

That was what made him so feared. That was what made him the perfect assassin—he did not feel emotion.

His master had seen to it that all of his emotions were beaten out of him several years ago, when he was still a child. Now he served his master without question, without feeling, without _thought_. When his master commanded him to do something, he merely did it. He did not feel satisfaction or pleasure from carrying out his master's orders; he had no motivation to do what was requested of him, but he had no motivation _not_ to do it either.

So he passed from assignment to assignment, emotionally and spiritually dead yet still physically alive and breathing.

--

The enemies came.

There were three of them. A tall red-headed man, a muscular blue-haired man, and a slender green-haired woman. They ran through the room without taking any notice of what was around them. They were apparently in quite a hurry.

Jaffar, still concealed, watched them as they ran up the stairs leading to the Dragon's Gate. Sure enough, the blue-haired man and the woman came back down the stairs after a few minutes, carrying another red-headed man, this one much older and barely conscious. Jaffar assumed that he was the father of the enemy leader.

It was time.

In a flash, Jaffar was at the foot of the steps. His appearance caused the man and woman to stop short.

"You will not pass here," the assassin stated.

The blue-haired man stepped forward, intent on a fight, but the red-haired man called him back, warning him not to fight the assassin.

"Well done, Jaffar," Ephidel's voice came from behind the three enemies, causing them to whip around. "Your job is done here. Return to Bern and await your next assignment."

Jaffar did not question the fact that Ephidel would be left alone against two fighters. He simply turned and ran out of the room.

When the ground started shaking and a myriad of unearthly sounds and roars began to come from behind him, he paid them no notice. He just kept running.

--

Jaffar stood at the bow of the Black Fang ship as it continued its journey away from Valor. Since he currently had no assignment, he had simply stood there for hours without moving. He had no reason to do anything else.

"Hey, you gonna stand there all day?"

A voice came from behind him, the voice of one of the few other Black Fang members on the ship. Jaffar did not turn, nor did he reply.

"Come on, aren't you going to answer me?" the voice persisted.

Jaffar remained silent.

"See?" another voice chimed in. "I told you he never speaks to anyone!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever..."

The words coming from behind the assassin were meaningless to him, more pointless discussion of his reputation.

The wind rustled the assassin's hair as the ship continued towards the continent of Elibe. Once the ship landed and Jaffar made his way to the country of Bern, another assignment would be waiting for him—an assignment that would change his life forever.

* * *

Whoo, rather dark and depressing, huh? Well, don't worry, Nino should be showing up next chapter. But so far, what do you guys think?  
On a side note, I hate having to double space this story /

Please review!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT


	2. Only a Girl

I must say, what a reception! You guys must have been waiting for this story quite eagerly, as I received _eighteen_ reviews for just the first chapter! Thanks, everyone:D

_FireEdge_: Thanks for your review!

_Inferno-Hero_: "Much awaited," eh? Thanks :)

_potter29vo_: I think I've grown too attached to my old single-spaced style / Double-spacing does make it easier to read, but I still just don't like it.

_Ragnarok-legend_: Thanks for your review!

_Spectral Flame_: Thanks for your review!

_Bloody Mary_: I don't think the "pretty please" is necessary. It's not like I'm just going to drop this story anytime soon :P

_Frombern_: "2 months of pain..." Were you really awaiting my story with that much enthusiasm? If you were, thanks :)

_Sword of Seals_: I do try to keep improving! I hope this turns out better than _Different_ as well.

_Ryst_: I started the story with Leila's death because Matthew is going to be incensed with Jaffar later in the story. Expect quite a few encounters between the two.

_Rednal29_: Uh...I'm not sure how to respond to that review...

_Firelien_: There will be quite a few "conflicts" with Matthew in the future. He's going to play an important role in the story.

_gentleness28_: That was the sort of personality I was going for, after all :) I think that an "emotionless" person such as Jaffar would scare just about anyone.

_Jeanie_: Ugh, I just got so used to my old formatting that double spacing looks ugly now. Even though everyone says it looks better...

_hyliansage_: I will definitely be including the Matthew/Jaffar supports, but I'm not so sure about the supports with Legault. I may include one though...

_jupiter adepts rule_: Thanks for your review!

_The Story Master 125_: Thanks for your review!

_demonesszen_: Thanks for your review!

_SweetMisery430_: Thanks for your review!

On with the story! And hey, it's a longer chapter!

**Chapter Two  
Only a Girl**

Jaffar stood in a dark corner of the large, nondescript fortress as the snow continued to fall outside. The trek up one of the highest of the Bern mountains to the Black Fang fortress would have been treacherous to those who were untrained, but Jaffar had scaled it with ease.

The meeting he was waiting for was going to involve the four warriors with the greatest skill in the organization: the Four Fangs. Rarely was there ever a need to summon one of these warriors, let alone all four. The assignment awaiting Jaffar and the others had to be important.

"Mother?"

Jaffar's head rose ever so slightly as the sound of a girl's voice pierced the silence that pervaded the fortress. Children were _never_ found in the Black Fang fortress—no child had the strength and skill to climb up the mountain without some sort of outside aid.

Jaffar's hand moved to one of the sheaths at his waist. If a girl had scaled the mountain, then that meant there must have been an intruder helping her—though why an intruder would bring along a girl was a mystery to him.

The sound of footsteps crunching snow turned to taps on stone as a girl stepped into the fortress through a doorway that was on the same wall as the one Jaffar was pressed against. He made no movement towards the girl, as she posed no threat to him. He kept his hand on the hilt of his dagger, however, just in case this girl's "helper" decided to show up as well.

"Mother?" the girl called again. "Are you in here?" The girl was rather short—anyone seeing her for the first time would think her height made her look like a child. Upon further inspection, though, one would see that her chest and hips were clearly developing, so she could not have been very young; to Jaffar she seemed to be about thirteen or fourteen years old. She wore a blue sleeveless shirt over a white dress, with a purple cloak wrapped about her body to keep out the cold. She had bright, clear baby-blue eyes and her messy bright-green hair was held in place by a dark blue headband.

The girl's eyes scanned the fortress for any signs of her mother. Finding none, she began to turn around, but she stopped as her eyes fell on Jaffar.

A bright smile lit up her face; she had found someone who could help her. "Hello, Jaffar!" she called cheerfully, walking towards him.

Jaffar's hand uncurled from around the dagger at his hip. This girl, whoever she was, must have had some relation to a high-ranking Black Fang member. Most of the low-ranking members and everyone outside of the organization referred to him only as the Angel of Death, the title a substitute for a name they did not know and did not care to find out. Though it was not kept secret, only the highest-ranking members of the Black Fang knew his actual name.

"Jaffar, have you seen Mother?" the girl asked in the same cheerful tone.

"...No," Jaffar breathed after a moment to the girl he didn't know. He only knew of one female member of the organization who actually had a daughter, let alone a child at all. But certainly, this girl could not be the child of—

"Heyyyy, it's Nino!" came a deep, cheerful voice.

The girl's smile became even brighter, if that was possible, as she turned around happily to the source of the person's voice. Said person happened to be a very tall, muscular man. His orange-blond hair whipped in the cold wind coming from outside as he smiled good-naturedly down at the girl. He wore black pants and a reddish-brown coat that he left open somewhat to expose his muscular torso for all to see. A rather large broadsword was strapped to his back.

"Hi, Linus!" the girl cried cheerily as she ran towards the man and embraced him tightly, her head barely reaching his chest. Linus responded by chuckling and ruffling her hair affectionately, knocking her headband off her head and onto the floor.

The girl giggled, letting go of Linus and bending down to pick up her headband. As she placed it in her hair again, she asked brightly, "Is Lloyd here too?"

"Yeah, I'm here," came another man's voice, this one somewhat higher than that of Linus. Lloyd stepped into the room, brushing snow out of his dirty blond hair. He wore a black shirt and pants about his tall, lithe body and he also wore a black coat to keep out the cold. A slightly curved sword was strapped to his side.

"Hi, Lloyd!" the girl cried, running over and embracing him just as she had done for Linus.

Jaffar simply watched silently. He knew who the two men were: they were the Reed brothers, also members of the Four Fangs. Linus was the strongman of the group, his powerful sword crushing anyone who got in his way. And Lloyd was simply a master of the sword, cutting down entire groups of enemies with such speed and grace that few were even able to _see_ him as he flew among enemy ranks.

And this girl...Nino. Lloyd and Linus' stepsister. Now, without a doubt, Jaffar knew it was her. But this was the exact opposite of the impression he had been expecting from meeting this girl.

The girl was the daughter of Sonia, a devout follower of his master. Both Sonia and his master had made Jaffar into what he was now, a cold, unfeeling machine. Yet this girl...the very _daughter_ of the woman who had made him this way...she was smiling brightly, laughing as Linus picked her up and twirled her around in some sort of game.

"You two are _such_ children," came a woman's voice, stopping Jaffar's thoughts. The assassin turned, even though he already knew who it was: Ursula, the only female of the Four Fangs and the only magic user as well. She had short, dark blue hair and violet eyes that were narrowed in slight annoyance as she glared at the Reed brothers. She had her arms crossed over her chest, which was covered by a tight, somewhat revealing purple dress that went down to her knees.

"Ah, cut us some slack, Ursula," Linus responded, chuckling as he put Nino down. "You'd act the same way if you hadn't seen your baby sister in awhile."

"I'm _fourteen_!" Nino cried at the remark.

Ursula paid her no notice. "I don't _have_ a sister," she countered.

"Then you wouldn't know how it feels," Linus responded. Ursula could only huff in reply.

"He's got a point, you know," Lloyd added, chuckling. "You're always calling us 'childish' this and 'immature' that when we take some time off to have fun with Nino here, but you don't know what it's like to have a sister."

"I prefer doing my job, thank you," Ursula replied haughtily. "Unlike you two, Jaffar and I have some sense of responsibility."

Jaffar did not give any sort of response to the comment.

"Ah, you just don't know how to have fun," Linus said, still chuckling. He put an arm around his brother's shoulders. "Me and Lloyd ought to take you down to the tavern some time, right Lloyd? I'm sure she'd like _that_."

"Can I come?" Nino suddenly asked brightly.

All of the Four Fangs turned to the girl, three of them staring uneasily. No one said anything.

Fortunately, another voice came, the voice of the woman Jaffar had been thinking about previously.

"So you are all here," Sonia stated as she walked into the fortress, her jet-black, very revealing dress trailing around her feet. She had long, pure black hair, which contrasted her pale skin and glittering golden eyes.

"Mother!" Nino cried happily, running over to the tall woman. Sonia seemed annoyed at the very sight of her, though she did not show it to the younger girl.

"Guess what, Mother!" Nino said excitedly, beaming. "I—"

"Not now," Sonia cut her off.

"But I—"

"Not _now!_" Sonia shouted. She calmed herself and continued, "I have business to attend to. It will have to wait."

Nino did not seem at all perturbed by Sonia's outburst. Instead, she merely replied, "Oh, okay."

Jaffar stood silently, watching the exchange between the two. His mind showed him the image he had seen only a few minutes ago, an image of Nino smiling brightly, laughing with her stepbrothers. Again, he wondered how Nino could possibly be so cheerful with a mother such as Sonia.

Suddenly, he caught himself, his mind screaming at him. Nino was only a girl! She had no importance to him; he had no reason to even be thinking about her! What was he doing?

He cleared his thoughts as he lined up with the rest of the Four Fangs. Sonia walked in front of them, stopping at each one in turn and speaking his or her name.

"Linus." The burly warrior stood at rapt attention now, a sharp contrast to his earlier playfulness.

"Lloyd." The swordmaster stood silently, just like his brother.

"Ursula." The mage stood at attention, responsible as always.

"Jaffar." The assassin stood silently as he always did.

"If I have the four of you here, I need no one else," Sonia stated. "All of you now have a new target, a man whose living plagues me. His name is Eliwood, a noble of Pherae."

"Pherae is located in Lycia, correct?" Ursula asked.

"Correct," Sonia stated flatly. "But he is no simple country lord. He has friends, other Lycian lords. Individually, they are no match for you, but together they have bested many of our forces. Do not be careless, unless you wish to die."

"Of course," Ursula replied.

Sonia walked over to the Reed brothers. "You understand your orders, correct?"

"One question," Lloyd said. "Are these our fa—the orders of the head of the Black Fang?"

"Of course," Sonia responded. "Isn't that right, my beloved?"

A very tall, muscular man walked into the fortress. He was heavily scarred, and his eyes had obviously seen large amounts of battle, but his hair was turning gray—he was past his prime. Jaffar recognized the man as the leader of the Black Fang and Lloyd and Linus' father, Brendan Reed.

"Mmm...yes," Brendan stated flatly.

"There, are you satisfied?" Sonia asked.

"If the head of the Black Fang has marked this man as an evildoer, then we will not hesitate," Lloyd replied.

"The Fang lets none escape," Linus added.

"Good." Sonia moved towards Jaffar. "I have another assignment for you as well. The rest of you are dismissed."

The rest of the Four Fangs left the room, though Nino and Brendan stayed.

"We have received reports of a traitor that has been found," Sonia told the assassin. "He is reportedly living in the town of Swanchika. I believe you know what must be done to him."

"Yes," Jaffar replied.

"Good. The messenger outside has more details. After you complete your assignment, you are to report to the designated meeting place in that town. My daughter will be there; she will tell you of any further developments. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Jaffar repeated.

"Very well. You are dismissed."

Jaffar began to walk out of the fortress, intent on completing another assignment. Nino's voice reached his ears as he left.

"Are you done now, Mother?" she asked brightly.

"Yes, I am," the assassin heard Sonia reply, sounding somewhat exasperated. "What is it?"

"I think I've finally mastered the Fimbulvetr spell!" Nino exclaimed. "Want to see?"

"Very well."

There was a rustling sound as Nino searched for her magic tome. Meanwhile, Jaffar had reached the door. Then Jaffar heard her begin to chant.

"I call upon the power of the goddess of winter. Bring down the power of the wind and snow, of..." She faltered. "Um...oh, shoot..."

_SMACK_

Jaffar's instincts told him to just keep walking, to ignore what was happening behind him. But the image of Nino smiling, laughing...he kept seeing it. How could she be this way? He had to know.

He turned around.

Nino was clutching her cheek where Sonia had slapped her fiercely. Tears were rapidly forming in her eyes.

"You call that _mastering_!" Sonia shrieked. "That was _pathetic_! Even one of our low-ranking mages could cast that spell better than you!"

"B-But...M-Mother..." Nino began to cry.

"But nothing!" Sonia's onslaught continued. "If you want to be a powerful sage, then you need to know how to _chant_, at least! Next time, make sure you actually _know_ the spell!"

Sobs racked Nino's body as she crumpled to the floor.

"And what are _you_ waiting there for, Jaffar!" Sonia yelled, her attention turning to the lingering assassin. "Get out of here! You have an assignment to complete!"

Jaffar turned and walked out of the fortress. He knew he shouldn't have waited there. Nino was of no importance to him. She was only a girl.

_She is only a girl_.

The words repeated again and again in his mind as he tried to stop thinking about the green-haired girl. But the image in his mind kept coming back.

He had to know more about this girl.

* * *

Well, the whole idea of the Black Fang "family" was certainly a lot of fun to create! What do you guys think?  
And as you can see, Jaffar is developing quite an interest in Nino. For some reason, to me, this seems OOC. Yet their support C is not giving me anything else...please tell me what you think!  
Oh, and whoever guesses where I got the name of the town from gets a cookie. 

Please review!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT


	3. Law of the Fang

It just keeps getting better and better...I got _twenty-six_ reviews for just the last chapter! Wow...thanks to everyone who reviewed!

For those who were wondering (probably a lot of you)...The Swanchika is the legendary axe of FE4. I was trying to think of a Fire Emblem-ish name for a town and that just popped into my head. Fitting, don't you think? :)

_Ryst_: Yes, I suppose you're right about that :/ Oh well, I'll just have to take his interest from there...

_Ragnarok-legend_: As much as I would hate abusing Nino like Sonia does, it's quite obvious from the game that that would be how Sonia acts. Sucks, but it's true :/

_Bloody Mary_: Heh, I loved writing the part with Lloyd and Linus. Glad you liked it :)

_AmbieChan_: Yes well...I think I made Jaffar a little too interested in Nino. But as Ryst said, no turning back now, I guess :/

_Sword of Seals_: Thanks for your review!

_demonesszen_: When you say "my fic," are you talking about _A Reason for Me_? You shouldn't put yourself down like that, I loved that story :)

_DotDotDotMan_: Err... was the 1337-speak really necessary? I actually tried to read the top part before I saw the rest of it...lol.

_Fury_: Thanks for your review!

_Narastar_: Ooh...close! The Swanchika is the legendary weapon of _Neir_, not Dain. Dain's legendary weapon is the Gungnir. --hands Narastar a cookie--

_Firelien_: --hands Firelien a cookie for the effort-- You don't need to learn Japanese to play FE4. Just do what I did, and get a translation patch! The best one is available at FESS itself, in FE4's board.

_FireEdge_: Thanks for your review! And update _Stray Arrow_! :P

_Icy AngelWings_ (x2): Thanks for your reviews!

_The Story Master 125_: No cookie for you, you didn't guess it :P And as for other Nino supports, I think they will be going on more "behind the scenes" so to speak. For example, Canas may be teaching Nino how to read, but I won't actually show their conversations.

_Inferno-Hero_: I think that's the funniest response yet. "A movie with a swan in it..." lol. And I will be adding links to _Different_ and _Defiance_ eventually.

_gentleness28_: You should use this reviewing technique for the next chapter as well! It ends up addressing everything about the chapter, so that's perfect for me :)

_Frombern_: Nobody _ever_ remembers Ursula. I don't understand why, she's rather prominent...

_SweetMisery430_: I will definitely be having a lot of fun with Sonia's death...--evil cackle--

_katelynn_: Thanks for your review!

_Emotion Changing Reviewer_ (x2): Yes, I do remember you :) Hey, you guessed right about the Swanchika! --hands over a cookie--

_Jeanie_: It says in Nino's supports with Erk (I think) that Nino learned the chants for the spells by imitating Sonia. The tome apparently is still needed though, because it's supposed to channel the caster's power or something like that.

_TheNobody_: I'll have to finish this before I consider writing another fic. It's hard for me to work on two stories at once.

_Spectral Flame_: Thanks for your review! And I wish you luck in whatever fandom you write in.

_Caitie_: Thanks for your review!

_hyliansage_: I don't think Jaffar is going to kill Sonia...it'll be someone else.

On with the story...

**Chapter Three**  
**Law of the Fang**

The assassin walked slowly down the street of the town, pulling his cape about himself to make himself look like just a simple traveler, albeit a shady one at that. The townspeople bustling to and fro around the town square paid him no mind. Few wanted to get in the way of someone with such an obviously dark expression.

Jaffar walked into the town square, sitting down on a bench in front of a large fountain. He had been traveling towards the town for most of the day, and he had no reason to hurry. The traitor Sonia had spoken of had been a highly skilled soldier, and Jaffar would need to be in top form to complete his mission.

He already had a room at one of the local inns; the innkeeper there was a strong supporter of the Black Fang and had given him a room for no charge. Normally, Jaffar would have just retired to his room, having no reason to do anything else. But today had been different.

He had searched among the houses of the town until he had found the meeting place of the Black Fang: an empty house, not standing out in any way from the houses around it. Remembering what Sonia had told him, he had gone inside the house.

She had not been there.

It was to be expected. Jaffar could tell just by looking at Nino that he would travel much faster than she did. Yet for some reason, some wild hope in his mind told him that she just might be there.

Why he was _still_ thinking about Nino was a mystery to the assassin.

His trained mind kept telling him that Nino was a distraction from his assignments. Yet something from simply seeing Nino with her stepbrothers had changed him, whether he liked it or not.

Right now, though, he had a job to do. Leaning back on the bench, he closed his eyes, trying to focus his mind on something else.

Nothing came. His assignment was already completely planned out. Apart from that...he didn't have anything else to think about. Until his encounter with Nino, he never had had any reason to think about anything apart from his assignments.

Jaffar stood up suddenly, frustrated—a feeling he _never_ had. He turned around, trying to focus on the fountain instead. It was an elaborate sculpture, depicting a female angel with wings outstretched. The water poured out of an upturned jug the angel was holding. All in all, the statue was very beautiful.

For the briefest of moments, Jaffar marveled at the irony of his title.

"Never knew you were one to admire art, Jaffar."

Jaffar turned around at the sound of Linus' voice. The warrior stood there, his arms crossed over his chest and an amused smile on his face. It was well-known that this town was one of his favorite hangouts. Jaffar supposed the warrior would be spending some time here before he set out to look for Eliwood.

"Linus," Jaffar acknowledged.

"What are you doing out here?" Linus asked, obviously curious at the fact that the assassin was out in public for once. "You're _always_ somewhere that has to do with your job."

Jaffar did not respond, not because he felt he did not need to, but because he could not think of anything to say. A reply of "nothing" would make Linus very suspicious.

Fortunately, Linus was used to not getting a response out of the assassin. "Figures you give me the silent treatment," he said. "I suppose that means you don't want to come down to the tavern with me? Socializing might do you some good, you know."

Once again, Jaffar did not respond. But then again, now Linus was just being facetious.

Linus shrugged. "Your loss." He turned and began to walk away.

"Wait," Jaffar whispered, just loud enough for Linus to hear.

Linus turned around, an expression of mock surprise on his face. "Am I going crazy, or did you just talk?" He put a hand over his heart to add to the effect.

There was no response from the assassin.

"Hah, I'm just playing around," Linus added, as if Jaffar might have actually cared. "What is it?"

"Have you seen Nino in this town?" Jaffar asked. Almost instantly, he mentally cursed himself for asking such a stupid question.

The question caused Linus to raise an eyebrow. "Uh..." he began, somewhat uneasily. "No. What does it matter to you?"

"She has information on my next assignment," Jaffar replied without missing a beat.

"Oh, all right," Linus said, sounding somewhat relieved. "Knowing her, she'll be here by tomorrow, then." He smiled proudly. "Always responsible, that girl. She's a good lass."

Jaffar did not respond.

"I guess I'll be seeing you around, then," Linus went on. "Good luck with your assignment."

Jaffar waited until Linus was out of sight, then silently, under the cover of his cape, he unsheathed one of his daggers and pressed the edge against his palm, letting it cut into his skin. The assassin figured it was a suitable punishment for letting his thoughts of Nino take over his mind.

He was still interested in learning about Nino, but he knew it had become too much.

He had to find a way to stop thinking about this girl.

-----

There was nothing special about the two-story house aside from the fact that it was built right in front of a lake. Jaffar looked over the house silently as the midday sun shone down on him from the clear sky. He was sure this was the place.

Not bothering to knock, the assassin tried the doorknob. It was locked.

He looked around his vicinity to make sure no other people were watching, then pulled out a lockpick. Most assassins of the Black Fang were not trained in such methods of breaking into a location, but Jaffar was a special case. Within seconds, the door was unlocked. He opened the door and went inside.

The assassin heard some sort of rummaging around above him as he entered the home. Not bothering to even search the ground floor, he located a staircase against the wall and ran up it, making almost no noise as he did so.

The top floor of the house was composed only of a bedroom. A small bed lay against one of the walls; a desk lay against another. There was also a closet on the wall which the assassin had come in from. The door was closed, but the assassin's trained ears picked up the faint sound of breathing behind it.

The assassin was amazed that such a high-ranking former member of the Black Fang would attempt such an amateur ambush. The traitor had apparently seen Jaffar coming from outside his window, and had hid in the closet, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Jaffar knew exactly how to deal with this sort of situation. He stepped a few feet in front of the closet. He moved his head around as though he was searching the room, with his back turned to the closet so that the traitor might think he had the advantage of surprise.

He waited one second, then two, then—

"_Die you son of a bitch!_"

The closet door burst open as the traitor leapt at Jaffar.

But Jaffar was ready. Without wasting a millisecond, he grabbed one of his daggers and whirled around, plunging it directly into the traitor's chest before he got close.

Unfortunately, something Jaffar had not been expecting happened, as he felt a sharp pain in his side.

Jaffar had expected that the traitor, knowing he did not have much time, would have grabbed a dagger or some other small weapon he could find in order to defend himself. Such weapons had very short reaches, and Jaffar's attack would have stopped his ambusher from connecting.

However, Jaffar realized as he looked down at his newest kill, the traitor had been carrying a sword. A longsword, at that.

The assassin grabbed his side, trying his best to ignore the intense pain shooting throughout his body. The wound was not fatal, but if Jaffar did not find medical assistance soon, he might pass out from loss of blood.

Jaffar paid the injury no mind. He had another assignment to receive and complete, despite his pain.

He ran down the steps, out of the house, and into the streets of the town.

-----

"Sir?! _Sir!_"

Jaffar paid the townspeople no heed as he ran through the town square, one hand still clutching his wound. His head had begun to feel light, but he just kept running. At the very least, he had to make it to the Black Fang meeting place. The consequences would be dire if he simply fell unconscious in the middle of the street.

One man jumped into his path several feet in front of him. The man held his hands up, urging the assassin to stop.

"Mister, please, you're obviously hurt! Why don't you just—"

"Get out of my way!" Jaffar shouted, pushing the man to the ground. His vision swam as he did so. Not good.

He made his way to the Black Fang meeting place. He leaned against the door as he approached it for support, breathing heavily.

"Hmm! Beautiful weather."

Jaffar's spirits soared as he heard Nino musing to herself inside the house. He quickly opened the door, startling the girl.

"Ah!" she screamed. Realizing who it was, she put one hand on her heart, recovering from the shock. "Don't scare me like that, Jaffar."

The assassin took a deep breath as his vision swam again. He leaned against the wall for support, still clutching his wound.

Nino apparently did not notice his injury. "What's wrong?" she asked, her voice full of concern. "You're never late for anything."

It took all of the assassin's strength to just lift his head. "My last job...took longer than expected," he replied weakly.

"Really?" the girl asked. Her gaze traveled down his body to where his hand lay, and her eyes widened in horror at what she saw. "Jaffar, w-what happened?!" she nearly screamed. "You're covered in blood!"

Jaffar blinked. Everything was becoming hazy. Not wanting to worry the girl, he replied, "It's only a scratch. Pay it no heed..."

His reply only seemed to worry Nino more. "_Scratches don't bleed like that!_" she screamed hysterically, panicking. She pulled a blue flask from a pouch at her waist, gesturing to his injury. "Please! Let me see the wound!"

Jaffar's vision was quickly dimming. He fell to his knees, no longer possessing the strength to hold himself up anymore. Looking up at Nino's worried face, Jaffar felt fear for the first time in his life.

He was going to die. And this girl, this sweet, innocent girl, was going to have to kill him.

He fell to the ground and blacked out.

-----

It was some time before Jaffar's eyes opened again. He blinked a few times to clear his vision. He looked around, noticing he was on a large bed, still in the Black Fang meeting place. Looking to his side, he saw Nino standing over him. Tears had apparently been streaming down her face for some time, but they stopped when Jaffar awoke.

"You're okay!" she shouted, obviously extremely relieved, as his eyes opened. "Oh, thank Saint Elimine!"

Jaffar blinked a few more times, trying to remember what had happened. His memories of the girl were not quite intact until he stared at her for a few seconds. "You...I know you..." he whispered. His throat felt very dry.

She nodded, her head bobbing up and down enthusiastically. "Yes, yes, we've met many times," she replied. "I don't think I've told you my name, though. I'm Nino!" she announced proudly. Her voice lowered almost inaudibly as she added, "Sonia's daughter."

The assassin was silent for a few more moments as his memories came back to him. He had been injured...he looked down at the wound. It still hurt, but miraculously, it had scarred over already, and the blood had stopped. His trained eyes picked up a very faint blue aura around it.

"I applied some healing elixir to your wound," Nino explained happily. "I had to use all of it, though," she added. "You have to make sure you don't agitate it, or it might start bleeding again."

"Water," Jaffar croaked, his throat feeling tight. He apparently had lost a lot of fluids.

"Oh, of course!" Nino replied. She pulled another flask out of her pouch, this one clear. "Here."

Jaffar took the flask gratefully, draining it quickly. Instantly, the world became clearer. His memories came rushing back to him.

He was supposed to be dead.

"I'm...alive," he said slowly, more to himself than Nino.

"Yes, you are," Nino responded, still cheerful despite what she had just been through. "You're very lucky, you know. You almost didn't make it."

It was true; it had been pure luck that he had made it to where Nino was before he fell unconscious. For saving his life, he was very grateful to the girl.

Yet his trained mind was indignant.

He was supposed to be dead.

"Why did you not kill me?" he asked.

Nino was visibly taken aback. "What?" she exclaimed.

"It is the law of the Fang," Jaffar went on. "'Sacrifice the wounded to salvage the strong.' I was unconscious, outside our safe halls. You were supposed to kill me, then flee. But you didn't...why?"

Nino sniffed, tears welling in her eyes. The fact that Jaffar was angry at being alive hit her hard. "I-I couldn't let a comrade die," she replied. "I j-just couldn't..."

Even as he felt a surge of gratitude for the girl, his trained mind kept raging. "Don't be a fool!" he shouted. At the same moment, he felt another sharp pain in his side, from his wound. He looked down. It was bleeding again.

Nino's eyes widened in horror. "Lie down! Please, don't move!" she cried, apparently still intent on keeping Jaffar alive. Her hands probed his injury, causing the assassin to cry out in pain—a rarity for him.

"Don't...touch it..." he muttered through clenched teeth.

"Oh, what do I do, what do I do?!" Nino mumbled to herself, panicking again. She suddenly ran over to a large pack that was sitting on the ground. She fumbled with it for a moment, then pulled out a long, golden staff with a large sapphire on the tip.

Nino's eyes traveled up and down the golden staff uneasily as she walked back over to the injured assassin. "Oh, why did Mother never teach me how to _use_ these things?!" She took a deep breath, then pointed the wand at Jaffar and cried, "_Mend!_"

Nothing happened. Jaffar's vision was becoming hazy again.

Nino apparently noticed his dizziness. "Please don't die!" she cried. "You mustn't die!" She turned her eyes back to the staff. "Come on, come on! _Mend!_" she tried again.

Again, nothing happened.

The girl banged the staff against the floor, her panic quickly getting the better of her as tears started rolling down her face. "Saint Elimine, please let this work!" she cried. She tried one last time. "_MEND!_"

And this time, a blinding white light shone from the tip of the staff. It immediately covered the assassin, warming him and lessening his pain considerably. When the light disappeared, he looked down at his wound.

It was no longer there. It still hurt somewhat, but there was no sign that he had ever been injured.

Nino fell to her knees. "_Thank goodness!_" she cried, relieved. Then, quite unexpectedly, she threw her arms around the assassin. "You're still alive! You're still alive!"

Jaffar suddenly felt very awkward. This girl had saved his life twice now, yet his trained mind was still furious at the fact that he was still alive. And now, Nino was hugging him, further adding to his confusion.

For once in his life, Jaffar was unsure of how to act.

Nino let go of the assassin, smiling brightly. "Thank goodness," she remarked again, much more softly this time. "I thought...I thought you were really going to die."

Jaffar did not respond.

_Please don't die! You mustn't die!_

The words reverberated in his head. He wasn't quite sure how to feel as he realized that this was the first time anyone had ever actually cared for his well-being. To the Black Fang, he might be a highly skilled assassin, but he was a resource, expendable. If he died, someone would replace him.

Yet this girl had saved his life, blatantly disregarding the law of the Fang to save the life of a comrade she barely even knew.

Again, the image of Nino smiling, laughing, played through his mind. This girl was the complete opposite of her mother in every way possible.

"You should get some rest." Nino's cheerful voice brought him back to reality. "Today must have taken a lot out of you."

_Today?_ The assassin looked out the window of the house. The sky was dark; the sun had already set.

It certainly _had_ been a long day.

He looked around the small house and found something rather disconcerting.

"There's only one bed," he remarked flatly. He was already in it, however the bed was rather large.

"That's all right!" Nino replied, still beaming. "I'll just sleep on the floor; I don't mind."

"Are you sure?" Jaffar pressed. "This bed is big; I don't mind sharing." He knew that Nino could easily take a question like that in several wrong ways, but he was more concerned whether this girl, his savior, would be comfortable for the night. It was the least he could do to repay her, despite his instincts raging against what she had done for him.

Nino immediately blushed scarlet. "Ah...n-no," she replied awkwardly, "I-It's okay, I don't mind." She seemed rather dazed at such a prospect. She really _was_ innocent. Certainly the opposite of her mother, Jaffar thought, as he recalled Sonia's rather revealing attire.

Thoughts raced through the assassin's head as he lay back on the bed. He was supposed to be dead now, yet this girl had saved him—twice. And, unlike everyone else he had ever known, she actually cared that he was still well.

He heard Nino's breathing slow as she lay on the floor. This girl had defied the law of the Black Fang, and Jaffar knew what he was supposed to do to those people.

Yet perhaps, Jaffar thought as sleep overtook him, he could make an exception for this girl.

* * *

--huge AWWWWWWWWW goes up from the crowd--  
Well, there you have it. A justification as to why Jaffar would not want to kill Nino. Like it? Hate it? Please let me know.  
  
Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT 


	4. Rage

Sorry about the late update, everyone. I've been very busy lately with college stuff. Ugh, they make it too complicated...

_demonesszen_: Thanks for your review!

_The Story Master 125_: Your crowd of OC's is scaring me...

_Spectral Flame_: Actually, there's only one "w." But that's just because loves to cut out repeated letters :P

_Inferno-Hero_: Harken/Isadora doesn't really have much story potential IMO. I mean, they _are_ already in love, aren't they?

_FireEdge_: I certainly hope you update _Stray Arrow_ by the time I post this. I've been waiting too long :/

_Ragnarok-legend_: You do have to realize that Jaffar probably has no sexual attraction to Nino whatsoever, at least at this point. Besides, I did say he just wanted her to be comfortable for the night after what she had done for him.

_Narastar_: I don't space twice after sentences. Even if I did, would cut it down to one space anyway. They're just weird like that . 

_Jeanie_: Canas is the one who teaches Nino how to read. She had no idea how to read beforehand...it's really kinda sad :/

_Ryst_: Um, yeah...emo. I think it's more negative reinforcement for himself than anything...

_Frombern_: I wouldn't really call his injury careless, though it could be seen that way. And remember, Jaffar has no sexual attraction toward Nino right now :P

_DTN_: Hey, who _doesn't_ love Nino/Jaffar? :D I love the fanart supports you created for them at deviantart. You should make more of those...like Heath/Priscilla :D

_Bloody Mary_: I don't think Sonia really wanted _let_ Nino and Jaffar get to know each other...it just sort of happened out of her reach.

_SweetMisery430_: I've been adding out-of-game lines of dialogue to my stories during my entire time at , and you _just_ noticed it? :P Oh and Sonia should be dying soon...probably next chapter or the one after :D

_Flaming Soul_: Thanks for your review!

_hyliansage_: Yes...Linus is dead now. It's too bad, he was my comic relief . 

_Magebrush_: I really don't like using the "instant" promotion in my fanfictions. I mean, how does one instantly learn how to use staves (or anima magic, or swords, or whatever)? I like to make it more gradual. Nino using the Mend staff, though, was more desperation than anything. She won't be using it again for awhile.

_TheNobody_: Thanks for your review!

_Kyosnekozukigirl_: Thanks for your review!

_gentleness28_: The way you have it now is just fine :) You can write your review however you feel like; it is _yours_ after all :P

And now...a nice steaming platter of Chapter 4. (thanks for that one, Ryst :P)

**Chapter Four  
Rage**

With Jaffar's injury healed, the trip back to the Black Fang fortress had been simple. Nino, though cheery for the entire journey, did not make any attempt at conversation with the assassin. Jaffar, finding no reason to speak, had remained silent for the entire trip. He dearly wanted to ask the young mage about her past, how she had remained so bright and optimistic with a mother such as Sonia.

Yet he could not find a way to ask her. After all, how could he phrase such a question? And even if he did ask her, would she want to reply? Would she be offended by such an inquiry?

Some small part of his mind, rebelling against the ideals that he had been trained, kept telling him that he could not offend Nino, that he could not do anything that would make her want to avoid him. Inexplicably, part of his mind wanted the young girl by his side, feeling comfortable with her presence. Of course, his trained mind would fight back, telling the assassin that Nino was a distraction from his duties, a hindrance.

And Jaffar was left unable to make a decision.

"Please! Give me one more chance! _Please_!"

Now, though, he at least had a brief respite. He stood in the corner of the Black Fang fortress along with Ursula as another woman begged Sonia for forgiveness. The woman, a tall, imposing person with short blonde hair, vicious-looking eyes, and a scar down her left cheek, had failed in her mission. She had had Eliwood and his companions right in her clutches—and they had still slipped out of her grasp.

It was an unforgivable failure, but the woman was trying her best nonetheless.

Sonia stood silently in front of the blonde woman, with her back turned towards her. "Vaida," she said angrily after a few moments, "you expect me to give you another chance? You _had_ a chance. You had the best chance you could possibly hope for. And you still failed. What reason do I have to grant you another one?"

"Please!" Vaida begged, now on her knees in a final act of desperation. "Without the Fang's good word, I'll never fly as a royal Wyvern Lord again!"

"So?!" Sonia demanded, whirling around. Her lips had held a scathing retort, but they curled into a darkly amused smile when she noticed the wyvern general on her knees. "Well, you're quite skilled at _begging_, at least," she spat. "Desist. You have failed and nothing will change that. Just be grateful that you are not a member or the Fang, or you would be dead right now."

Slowly, Vaida rose, then walked slowly out of the fortress. Her eyes blazed with hate and rage, but she made no further attempts to speak to Sonia.

"Pathetic woman," Sonia remarked to herself, then called, "Ursula! Jaffar!"

The two Fangs stepped out of the corner they had been waiting in, walking over to their leader. Ursula bowed in respect; Jaffar simply stood silently.

Sonia looked past them, out the doorway at Vaida's retreating figure. "There are two types of people in this world," she remarked. "Those who are fit to lead and those who are fit only to serve: human refuse." She looked back at the pair, though more at Ursula than Jaffar. "That's all. Only two types."

She smirked arrogantly. "I am the former." Her smirk grew wider. "I am a perfect specimen chosen by Lord Nergal." Her eyes probed the two Fangs' faces for any signs of disloyalty. "You two wish to be like me, don't you?"

_No_.

The assassin did not know where the thought had come from, nor did he even know why it had come. But for a brief moment, Sonia represented everything wrong in the world: arrogance, treachery..._evil_ in its purest form. And he _hated_ it, hated _her_, hated everything about her, and he wanted to destroy her, to make sure that nobody would ever have to suffer because of her again and—

And then the thought was gone, fading into memory, even as his trained mind exploded with rage, forcing his lips to mouth the word "yes."

His very thought had been treason to the Black Fang. His eyes did not change, nor did his expression. Yet inwardly, he was aghast. What could be causing him to think this way?

And then, as if on cue, Nino came bouncing into the fortress, smiling happily as she always did.

"Mother, you called for me?" she asked cheerily, not seeming to notice that her mother was meeting with Ursula and Jaffar.

Was it _Nino_? Could it be _Nino_ that was causing him to have these thoughts?

Sonia sighed, exasperated as she always was when Nino interrupted her. "Yes," she began angrily, "I did, but—"

"What for?" Nino interrupted her again, still cheerful despite her mother's expression.

Sonia put a hand to her face in total exasperation, breathing heavily as she tried to control her rage. "Ursula," she managed to say through clenched teeth, "you are dismissed. Jaffar, stay here."

Ursula raised an eyebrow at Sonia's reaction to her daughter's presence, but she did as she was told and left the fortress quickly.

"So why did you call me?" Nino asked as Ursula left.

Sonia took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

And meanwhile, Jaffar was in shock.

He looked down at the young mage beside him. Her eyes were bright and she was smiling expectantly.

She was just a girl.

She was just a simple, ordinary girl. There was nothing special about her. Nothing.

Nino caught Jaffar's gaze, looking up at the assassin as her expression became one of slight concern. "Hello, Jaffar! Are you feeling all right? Does your wound still hurt?"

Those simple words caused Jaffar to be left speechless. The fact that Nino still cared about him gave him a feeling he couldn't quite describe. But he didn't care what the feeling was; all he knew was that he was _feeling_. Before he had met this girl, he had been an emotionless machine...and yet now, she was making him _feel_ emotions he had never felt before...

Sonia's head rose at the word "wound." Her voice pulled Jaffar out of his reverie as she asked, "Wound?" She stared at the assassin with an expression that bordered on disbelief. "You were _wounded_?"

Before Jaffar could reply, Nino quickly answered for him. "Well, he _was_, but I healed him!" she declared proudly. "I used the Mend staff you gave me, and you never even taught me how to use it!"

Sonia's incredulous stare shifted from Jaffar to Nino, but it began to change into an expression of uncertainty. Her gaze shifted back to Jaffar. "Is this true?" she asked. Despite the laws of the Black Fang, something in Sonia's voice told Jaffar that she wanted to hear a positive reply.

"It is true," Jaffar declared flatly.

"Nino..." Sonia began, staring back at the young mage. She seemed at a loss for words, like a fighter who had been thoroughly defeated yet did not want to admit it to his opponent. And then, her expression calmed, and she stated, "That was...good work."

Nino beamed.

But Sonia was not finished. She drew a knife from a sheath at her waist, then walked over to Jaffar with a devilish smirk on her face.

Jaffar knew what was coming before it happened. He closed his eyes, standing perfectly still as Sonia drew a gash up his right arm. The pain was intense, but the assassin made sure not to show any signs of weakness to Sonia.

"W-What are you doing?!" Nino shrieked as blood began to pour out of the incision.

Sonia's devilish smirk grew wider. "I'm making sure that you can use the staff consistently."

Nino, however, seemed to be paralyzed with shock.

"Well what are you waiting for?!" Sonia demanded. "If you can really use a Mend staff, then show me!"

Jaffar, meanwhile, clenched his teeth and clamped his eyes shut, trying to ignore the pain as best he could as he kept standing perfectly still. It would pass. Nino could use the staff, he had seen that himself. He would be fine.

There was the sound of rustling as Nino frantically searched through her pack for the staff. When the rustling stopped, Jaffar heard her cry, "_Mend_!"

Nothing happened.

"Liar," Sonia spat. She snatched the staff out of Nino's hands, then pointed at Jaffar and calmly said, "_Mend_."

Immediately, the pain disappeared. Jaffar opened his eyes to find Sonia glaring hatefully at Nino.

"You stupid, stupid, _stupid_ girl," Sonia spat. She threw the Mend staff against the floor, shattering the sapphire at the tip.

Nino put her hands up defensively as she stepped backwards, expecting some sort of physical punishment.

Sonia took a few steps closer. "I trained you in the hopes that you might prove to be a powerful sage," Sonia's voice was a deadly whisper. "Yet again, and again, and _again_, you fail me. And I have _had_ it!"

The more Jaffar watched the mother and daughter, the more his earlier thought recurred to him. As Sonia's rage against Nino grew, so did Jaffar's rage against Sonia.

Nino did _not_ deserve this.

And again, the feeling grew, and he wanted to kill Sonia, to make sure that nobody would have to suffer because of her again—

A whimper interrupted his thoughts. Nino had slunk against the wall of the fortress, tears spilling rapidly down her face.

"You have _one_ chance now," Sonia whispered. "I am giving you an assignment. You _will_ complete it. And just to make _sure_ that you do—" she looked over at Jaffar, "—Jaffar will be coming with you."

Jaffar gave no response, but his mind was in turmoil. He would have to spend more time with Nino? His trained mind told him she would be a hindrance if anything, yet the other part of his mind, which seemed to be growing by the second, was welcoming her presence.

"W-what d-do I have t-to do?" Nino stammered weakly, sniffing.

"You will assassinate the prince of Bern, Zephiel," Sonia stated. "We have explicit orders from the king. This assignment _must_ be carried out, and soon."

Despite her terror, Nino seemed confused at the fact that the king desired the death of his own son. She began weakly, "B-but—"

"_BUT NOTHING!_" Sonia screamed, causing Nino to shrink further against the wall. "You _will_ complete this assignment! _Is that clear?!_"

Nino gave the tiniest of nods, shaking from terror from Sonia's onslaught.

"Good," Sonia went on, her devilish smirk returning. "Now get ready for your journey. You are leaving tonight."

Nino slowly stood up, wiping her eyes, though she continued to shiver with fear. Taking a few deep breaths, she said weakly, "O-okay." And she walked out of the fortress without another word.

Jaffar was about to follow her—he had to prepare as well, after all—but Sonia's voice stopped him.

"Jaffar," she called flatly.

He turned to the raven-haired woman soundlessly.

"About this assignment...after you kill the prince..." she began, but she stopped. She smiled deviously, as if delighting in the effect the words she was about to say would have on Jaffar.

"What is it?" Jaffar asked after a few moments of silence.

Sonia's smile grew so wide that her teeth showed.

"After you kill the prince...kill Nino, too."

* * *

Mwa ha ha! I think I'll leave it at that...  
...  
OK, so maybe it isn't so much of a cliffhanger when you know what's going to happen anyway. But what did you guys think of this chapter? I had a lot of fun creating Jaffar's rage against Sonia... ;P  
  
Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT 


	5. Pity

News flash, filling out college applications still sucks. Same goes for writer's block. Sorry about the late update...

_The Story Master 125_: My last chapter was really "god?" ;P

_FireEdge_: I feel sorry for Nino too...that's why Sonia will DIE A HORRIBLE AND PAINFUL DEATH—er...--cough-- yeah.

_Ragnarok-Legend_: You really think my updates are fast? My normal rate is a week and the last chapter was three days late. And this one is an entire week late...maybe I should redefine my "normal" rate :/

_Ryst_: There _will_ be a final confrontation between Jaffar and Sonia. However, Jaffar is not going to kill her. Wait and see ;)

_Flaming Soul_: Thanks for your review!

_Swordmaster J_: Thanks for your review!

_Firelien_: It will be fun for me to create Jaffar's introduction into Eliwood's army, especially since many of his allies are going to hate him. Should be interesting :)

_Inferno-Hero_: I'd have to think more about a Harken/Isadora story, but in any case it wouldn't be started until after I'm done with this.

_Lady of Dragons_: I think the "did I just think that" line is very necessary for Jaffar, especially because he's been so used to carrying out orders without question. A mental disturbance must be very important for him to fix.

_Spectral Flame_: I agree. Death to Sonia!

_Chaos_: Thanks for your review!

_Jeanie_: What bugged you about the Mend staff scenes?

_Bloody Mary_: Thanks for your review!

_Crystal Royale_: Thanks for your review!

_hyliansage_: To quote Hector, "The more you praise me, the less worthy I sound." Now I think my "cliffhanger" sucks... ;(

_DTN_: Heath/Priscilla support _C_?! You have to do A! You _must_!

_demonesszen_: I'm trying to make Sonia as evil as I possibly can, and from the responses I've been getting, it looks like my characterization did the trick. :) And as for what Jaffar was thinking when he saved Nino...that's this chapter! Read on...

_James Holester_: A Jaffar outfit for Halloween? I think that's taking it a bit far...

_frombern_: Don't worry, I don't think Jaffar is the type to destroy things _other_ than what he hates :P

_Magebrush_: Thanks for your review!

_SkyFireZero_: Thanks for your review!

_gentleness28_: Don't worry about the late review...I don't care when I get a review, as long as I receive it in the end :)

_dustin pollock_: Thanks for your review!

_Winteress_: Thanks for your review!

_SaiTheInsaneTactician_: If I tell you how many chapters this is going to be, it inevitably will end up being a different number of chapters. So I'm just going to leave that question unanswered. :P

And now, a nice steaming platter of Chapter 5. (Geez, I can't stop using that phrase now :P)

**Chapter Five**  
**Pity**

For the first time in a long while, Jaffar was taken aback by Sonia's request.

He knew this woman was asking the impossible, but he did not dare voice that opinion to her.

She was asking him to kill the girl who had saved his life, both physically and spiritually—she had reawakened the emotions inside him that without her would have remained dormant forever. It was a debt he owed her at the basest level—a life for a life.

But even then, what had Nino done to merit this punishment? Jaffar had never had any moral qualms with any other assignment he had been given because he had always had a reason to assassinate his targets—some were traitors, some had severely broken the law of the Fang, and some were simply enemies of the organization.

But Nino had done _nothing wrong_.

He couldn't believe that this woman was asking him to do such a thing.

And when he responded, all that came out was, "What?!"

"You heard me," Sonia replied, that accursed smirk still on her face. "I want you to kill Nino."

Again, disbelief overtook him. How could she ask him this?

"Nino has failed in her duties time and time again," Sonia continued; it seemed Jaffar's incredulousness was apparent to her. "The magic that flows through her veins is far more powerful than mine—" she spat out the words with disgust, "—yet she cannot, _will not_ refine it. She was granted immense power that she cannot use."

"She _can_ use it," Jaffar countered. "She healed my wound in Swanchika."

"I don't believe I asked you to question my orders," Sonia retorted angrily. "She was lucky, do you understand?! She could _never_ use that staff at will."

"But Nino is your daughter!" Jaffar exclaimed. Never mind that she wanted _him _to kill Nino, she wanted her own _daughter_ to die! How heartless could this woman be?

He knew his comments were out of place, and he made no move to resist as Sonia lashed out, furiously grabbing the collar of the assassin's shirt and pulling his face close to hers.

"Nino is worthless _trash_," Sonia gave a deadly whisper, and she said the words with such hatred that Jaffar was surprised Sonia had not killed Nino years before. "She cannot do _anything_ I ask of her. She is better off dead."

She shoved Jaffar away as she let go, still seething. "You _will_ kill her," she commanded.

"This...has nothing to do with me," Jaffar responded. The conflict was between Sonia and Nino; that he knew.

"Oh, but it has _everything_ to do with you, Jaffar," Sonia chuckled darkly. "You see, my daughter has had quite an influence on you. And I don't like it." She took a few steps towards him, her expression quickly turning into a snarl of anger. "You _never_ questioned my orders before she..._saved_ you."

"She has done nothing wrong," Jaffar declared flatly. He did not even flinch as Sonia slapped him hard and full across the face.

"_She is a failure!_" Sonia screamed. "She does not even deserve to stand in my _sight_! I trained her to become a servant of Lord Nergal, and she has failed that training! Is that clear?!"

Jaffar gave no response.

"You do not seem to understand the situation, Angel of Death," Sonia spat. "Nino is going to die. If it is not by your hand, then it will be by someone else's. And if you do not kill her, then _I_ will kill _you_."

That got his attention. "What?!" he exclaimed. How could he make such a decision?

"The punishment for traitors is death, isn't it, Jaffar?" Sonia smiled deviously at her victory. "I would have thought that _you_ of all people would know that."

Jaffar was left utterly unable to think of a response.

"Your assignment is to kill the prince, and then Nino. Do you understand?" Sonia asked, her smirk growing.

_NO._

The thought returned, stronger, and this time without protest from his instincts. He could _not_ work for a woman such as Sonia. He could _not_ kill Nino.

_He could not allow this woman to live._

His hand flew towards his dagger—

But before it could even reach the sheath, Sonia's hand was directly in front of him, holding a swirling, bright-blue sphere of magic mere inches from his face.

"I could kill you right now if I wanted to," Sonia whispered flatly, her hand unmoving from its position. "But you show promise. You can be truly great, Jaffar, if you do not let the refuse bring you down."

Jaffar could do nothing but seethe silently as the magical energy hovered in front of him.

"I have given Nino chance after chance, but she has failed every time," Sonia went on, still holding the magic in her hand. "Now I am giving _you_ a chance, Jaffar. If you do not accept it, then your life is forfeit."

Jaffar remained silent.

"You are to kill the prince, and then Nino," Sonia repeated, but this time there was no anger in her words; it was merely a flat command. "Do you understand?" The magic she held seemed to glow brighter as if to emphasize the magnitude of the choice Jaffar had to make.

Jaffar considered his options. He could refuse, but then he would be killed right there on the spot. He knew he could not kill Nino, but he did not want to die either.

"Answer me, Jaffar," Sonia commanded softly. For a moment, it seemed to the assassin that her face and voice held no expression whatsoever.

"I will...do it," he replied grudgingly. What else could he say?

"Good." Sonia's devious smirk returned, but she continued to hold the magic right in front of the assassin's face. "But mark my words, Jaffar," she went on. "If this assignment is not carried out, I _will_ know. Is that clear?"

Jaffar nodded silently, still seething.

Sonia's smirk grew wider. "You are dismissed, Jaffar." She began to walk backwards, still holding the magic in her hand. "I hope, for your sake, that it is not for the last time."

And with that, she left the fortress.

Jaffar simply stood there breathing heavily for several moments, unsure of how to let out the rage that had been building inside of him. Finally, he drew one of his daggers and slammed it into the wall of the fortress with such force that the blade snapped in half.

He didn't care. He had more.

He drew the other dagger and brought his arm back, about to let his frustrations out on the wall with it as well, when something about the dagger caught his eye. Looking at the blade—something he never felt he had a reason to do before—he noticed that the once-silvery metal was instead tinged red, the color of dried blood.

It did not take long for Jaffar to realize why that was so, but it startled him somewhat. Had he really killed that many people? It seemed as though the blade had become so bloodstained in the past that even the metal itself had begun to absorb it.

He looked down at the broken remains of his other dagger, and he noticed that its pieces were the same color.

Looking back at the dagger in his hand, he realized that the blood of every single person that he had assassinated was in the blade's metal.

He dearly hoped he would not be forced to make Nino's blood join theirs.

-----

Nino waited at the outskirts of the fortress as Jaffar approached. The air was warmer than usual at the peak of the mountain, but because of where they were, all the warmth caused on that cloudy day was a cold drizzle instead of snow flurries.

"Hello, Jaffar," Nino said as the assassin approached. She was smiling warmly, but her mood was noticeably dampened compared to her normal sunny disposition—both because of the weather and what had just happened to her.

Her eyes traveled down from his face to the arm that Sonia had cut, and her face fell a bit. "I'm...sorry I couldn't heal you, Jaffar," she said awkwardly. She looked back up at his face, her eyes pleading the assassin to say something, _anything_ that would make her failure all right. "I tried, Jaffar...I really did."

Jaffar, of course, had never been in any situation even remotely related to the one he was in now. What could he say? In the hierarchy of the Black Fang, failure was failure. The amount of effort put in was irrelevant; all that mattered was the outcome. She had failed, and nothing he could say was going to change that.

"You saved my life before," he said instead, wondering how he had thought of it since he had never had to comfort anyone before in his life. "I..." he continued uneasily, unsure of how to go on, "I...wouldn't be here...if...you hadn't." The words came out slowly, uneasily, and to those unfamiliar with the assassin's demeanor, the words would have seemed insincere.

But he meant every word, and Nino apparently knew it. "Thank you," she replied warmly. The smile that she gave him afterwards silently added, "I needed that."

She continued to smile at him silently for a few moments, before running a hand through her damp hair and remarking, "Well...we should get going."

Jaffar's only reply was a nod.

And they set off. The girl's mood had been brightened, but the opposite had happened to the assassin's.

How could he possibly even _think_ of killing this girl?

-----

They had left at midday, and Jaffar estimated that they would reach the Bern prince's manse a few hours after nightfall. The majority of the journey passed in silence, though Nino seemed content with that, humming a soft tune to herself as they traveled.

The weather had cleared after they had left the mountain. As the sun began to set, however, the young mage's demeanor seemed to grow more and more nervous. As the sky turned orange, Nino's humming became strained, as though she knew she was afraid but believed that humming would take her mind off her fear. A few minutes later, though, her humming stopped altogether. Jaffar frequently noticed out of the corner of his eye that Nino's head kept turning to him, and she would open her mouth as if to say something, but then would quickly turn her head back to the road in front of her.

The sky had darkened considerably by the time Nino finally mustered up the courage to speak. "Jaffar?" she asked meekly.

Jaffar turned his head toward her silently.

She stopped walking, causing the assassin to stop as well. She looked down, fidgeting with her cape with her hands. "I..." she began uneasily, unsure of how to put her thought into words. "This...this is my first mission, you know?"

"Yes," Jaffar replied flatly.

"I...don't know if..." she began, then stopped. She looked up at the assassin's face. "Jaffar...I've never...I've never had to..." She stopped again. Whatever she wanted to say, it appeared to the assassin that the very thought of it was terrifying her.

"What is it?" Jaffar pressed.

She looked back up at him, then her gaze shifted uncomfortably. "Jaffar..." she tried again. This time she added, with great effort, "What...what does it...feel like...to...to kill someone?"

The question caught Jaffar off guard. Once again, he had absolutely no idea what to say in response.

Fortunately, Nino continued to speak. Her face falling, she said softly, "I...I don't want to have to...kill anyone." She sniffed, but at the same time her expression became one of steely determination. "But...it's what Mother wants. I mustn't fail."

"Why?" The question left the assassin's mouth before he could stop himself. He _had_ wondered why the young mage was so intent on pleasing her mother, but he also did not want to offend her. She had obviously been through a lot of problems with Sonia in the past...

Nino looked up at the assassin, confused. "Why what?"

"...Nothing," Jaffar replied. "Never mind." He was lucky that Nino had not understood. Something about the young mage told Jaffar that she might not want to talk about her experiences with her mother.

Nino's gaze wavered again, and she looked back down at the ground. "Jaffar..." she said softly, "you don't...you don't think that Mother...would actually kill me...right?" She made a pathetic attempt at a joking smile, but the gravity of the situation had obviously gotten to her.

Jaffar, of course, knew the answer to that question. But there was no way that he could let this girl know that her own mother wanted to kill her—it would most likely shatter her entire world.

And that wasn't even considering the fact that he might be the one to kill her—

_No_. There was _no way_ he was going to kill Nino.

"I will do this," Nino's voice interrupted his thoughts. She was looking at the ground, but her determined expression had returned. "I won't fail. Mother will see what I've become, and she will love me."

It took Jaffar a moment to realize that Nino had answered his unspoken question. She remained cheerful and always eager to work because she was intent on proving her worth to her mother.

Jaffar felt a rush of emotion towards the young mage at the realization that her dream that her mother would love her could never come to pass. He had never felt the emotion before, and he wasn't quite sure what it was.

Could it have been pity?

-----

The rest of the journey had passed in an uneasy silence.

True to Black Fang form, Jaffar and Nino would not have to carry out their assignment without aid. The Fang's more insidious members were also part of the Bern military's hierarchy, and they had been able to command all of the guards away from the prince's manse.

"I can do this," Nino kept repeating as they entered the darkened manse. She was exceedingly nervous, however. Though there were no guards, she still jumped at the slightest sound.

This girl was definitely not cut out to be an assassin, Jaffar thought.

"Jaffar?" Nino asked timidly as they walked through the hallways of the manse. As Jaffar turned to her silently, she went on softly, "Jaffar...you'll...help me with this assignment...right?"

Jaffar wasn't quite sure how to respond. Yes, he would help her assassinate the prince, but afterwards...

Jaffar closed his eyes, annoyed at himself. _He was not going to kill Nino no matter what!_ He had to stop thinking about it...

"Jaffar?" Nino asked again, having received no response.

Again the assassin felt that strange emotion rush through him. This girl had nobody she could trust, not even her mother...

"Do not be so naïve as to expect help from 'friends,'" he replied. He tried to say it flatly, but due to his annoyance it ended up coming out as a harsh rebuke. "Remember that. If you fail, then I will, without hesitation, finish the target..." He closed his eyes. "And then you." He took a deep breath. At least if he told her this, Nino might have some idea of what she was in for, even if Jaffar himself did not kill her.

Nino took a step backwards, visibly paling. Still, she tried feebly to laugh it off, smiling weakly despite her fear. "Y-...you don't have to tell me that, Jaffar," she replied, making a pathetic attempt at a laugh. "I know that..."

As Jaffar turned and walked onwards, he heard Nino whisper to herself, "I mustn't fail."

-----

At last, the moment that Jaffar had been dreading approached, as the two of them reached the prince's room.

Jaffar pulled out his lockpick and was about to use it to open the great doors when Nino spoke.

"Someone's praying."

Indeed, someone was praying inside the room, obviously the prince.

"As the prince of Bern," Zephiel's loud, clear voice came from inside the room, "I've tried...I've tried my best not to be an embarrassment to my father. I know I've not met with his expectations. But hear me: tomorrow, I will be a man, so this is my last wish as a foolish child. It's the same wish I've asked you for the past several years, but please...bring Father and Mother together again. Please, let the day come when Guinevere and I...when all of us can live together happily in the castle. Amen."

A sniff came from behind Jaffar, and he turned to find Nino's blue eyes sparkling with tears. When she caught Jaffar's gaze, however, she hastily wiped her eyes and whispered, "I'm ready."

Jaffar did not ponder why Nino would be close to tears from hearing such a prayer.

He instead simply picked the lock and opened the door soundlessly. Zephiel was kneeling on the floor in front of him, though the assassin could only see the back of his green nightgown.

As the prince rose, Jaffar leapt forward, catching the prince in a sleeper hold. Zephiel was only able to mumble "Villain..." before he fell to the floor, unconscious.

Jaffar turned back to Nino to find her still standing in the doorway. Her breaths were coming shakily now, the sight of what Jaffar had just done and the thought of what she was about to do both terrifying her beyond belief.

She stepped forward slowly, looking down at the unconscious prince.

"That will leave him unconscious for some time," Jaffar explained. "Now, it is time for you to do your part."

"O-Okay." Nino's voice was barely above a whisper. Taking a deep breath, she reached into the pouch at her waist, pulling out a small dagger.

Jaffar merely watched silently.

Closing her eyes and taking another deep breath, Nino raised the dagger. She held it there for a few moments.

Jaffar continued to watch silently, but for the first time in his life, he felt remorse at an assassination—though it was more for Nino than the prince. Sonia was forcing her daughter to experience absolute terror before her death.

_Stop it!_ a voice in his mind cried. Why did he keep thinking about having to kill Nino? _He wasn't going to kill her._

There was a sudden clatter, the sound of metal hitting stone. Jaffar looked at Nino only to find that she was no longer holding the dagger.

"I-I can't do this," Nino said softly.

"Do not waste the opportunity I have given you, Nino," Jaffar replied flatly. There was no telling what the consequences might be if the prince lived to wake again and tell others what had happened.

Nino, however, shook her head, the tears which had been sparkling in her eyes before springing forth anew. She looked down at the unconscious prince, motioning for Jaffar to do the same. "Look at him..." she whispered. "All he wants is his parents' love...to be accepted." She blinked, a few tears spilling forth. "That's all..."

"Nino—" Jaffar began.

"He's just like me," Nino sobbed, paying the assassin no notice. "No matter—" she sniffed, "—how hard I try...M-Mother always looks at me...a-as if I were...n-nothing."

Looking at the young mage, this girl pouring her heart out to him, Jaffar could feel nothing but the strange emotion he had felt twice before that day.

Nino did not deserve this pain. A girl such as her deserved another chance, a chance to live like she should have before.

Nino sniffed again, wiping her eyes. Swallowing nervously, she said, "Jaffar."

Jaffar stared back at Nino silently.

She closed her eyes, more tears spilling forth. "D-Do what you must," she whispered, with great effort.

Jaffar reached for his dagger, ready to carry out the prince's assassination.

But Nino silently moved in front of the prince defensively. She stared at Jaffar intently, her tear-filled eyes pleading with the assassin. "Please, Jaffar..." she sobbed, "j-just d-don't hurt the prince. F-For pity's sake...he d-doesn't deserve this..."

Jaffar was so taken aback by Nino's act of defense that he actually dropped his dagger.

Nino clamped her eyes shut forcefully, trying to stand tall against what was awaiting her. "I...I don't care about the law of the Fang," she whispered resolutely. She took a deep breath, then stated, "I'm...ready to die. But please, Jaffar...just make it as painless as you are able."

Jaffar, however, could do nothing but stare at the young mage in absolute shock. He had spent the whole day telling himself that he was not going to kill Nino, and now she was _willingly_ giving her life up to save the prince?

"J-Jaffar?" Nino asked weakly, her eyes still clamped shut. "Please, just do it quickly...I-I'm...scared..."

_NO._

Staring at this girl ready to give up her life, Jaffar was suddenly overcome with the overwhelming urge to protect this girl, to save her from anything and everything her mother or anyone else in the world might throw against her.

Even if it took his life...this girl deserved to live. He would protect her.

"Jaffar?" Nino asked again, this time opening her eyes a fraction. They widened considerably when she saw him standing there with his dagger on the floor.

"Come," he told Nino. He was done with the Black Fang. All he wanted to do now was protect Nino.

"Jaffar? W-what are you doing?" Nino asked worriedly, as Jaffar turned and began to walk out of the prince's room.

Jaffar looked over his shoulder at the young mage. He was ready to give up his life to save hers.

"We're leaving," he replied softly.

* * *

--holds up hands defensively--  
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! This took way too long to get out, I know. Anyway...please tell me what you think of this chapter. I'm a bit unsure of it myself, but...well, tell me what you think.

Please review!!!

-TheOneAndOnlyT


	6. Worthy of Living

I _almost_ finished this chapter in a week this time. It would have come out yesterday if the Red Sox hadn't taken their game into the 14th inning. But hey, it was a good game (and we won), so I'm not complaining :D

_Ryzuki_: Thanks for your review!

_Flaming Soul_: That's been my intent since the start, if you haven't noticed. :P

_FireEdge_: --glances over at _Stray Arrow_-- Speaking of taking two weeks to update... :P

_Inferno-Hero_: I remember when it took me only two days to get out a chapter also...those were the days before the evil entity known as "the college search" came along :/

_James Holester_: You do have to realize that, after what happened in the previous two chapters, it really isn't a good time for Nino to ask Sonia to hold her hand. Sonia was a lot less pissed off in the game :P

_Spectral Flame_: Thanks for your review!

_Ryst_: Heh, I really liked making up the line about Nino's blood. Thanks!

_Winteress_ (x2): I think you might have reviewed twice by accident...

_Ragnarok-legend_: The way you wrote that, it sounded like you were going to die if a new chapter didn't come out soon. I hope you're okay...

_Crystal Royale_: Thanks for your review!

_Firelien_: Matthew should not be appearing until the next chapter, I don't think. But it will be a memorable moment :P

_hyliansage_: "Update soon," huh? Well, whatever happened to _Wish_? :P

_Jeanie_: Why should Nino not be able to use staves? Frankly, I don't think slipping on a ring would instantly give someone the power to use staves or any type of magic. Wouldn't it be a skill that was learned, not suddenly received?

_The Story Master 125_: --smiles brightly at spelling error--

_MagicianFairy_: Thanks for your review!

_Emotion Changing Reviewer_: Thanks for your review!

_gentleness28_: That was...quite a long review. I can't respond to just one part of it :P

_demonesszen_: Thanks for your review!

_anonymus_ (x2): Thanks for your reviews!

_darkstarredshadowwolf_: PLEASE draw a Nino/Jaffar, I'd love to see it. I can't draw for my life :/

_Bloody Mary_: Thanks for your review!

_AmbieChan_: Yes, I was definitely the one who gave you that warning. Hard, isn't it? :/

And now a, uh...food...of chapter 6. (Guess the reference and get a cookie!)

**Chapter Six**  
**Worthy of Living**

Nino could only stare at Jaffar dumbly.

"L-...leaving?" she finally stammered after a few moments. "B-but—"

"Come," Jaffar repeated urgently. There was no telling how much longer the prince would remain unconscious, and even then, he just wanted to get Nino out of the manse as fast as possible, before she began to have any doubts about what he wanted to do.

Nino stepped forward, slowly at first, but she quickened her pace as Jaffar silently slipped out of the prince's room and into the relative darkness beyond. The large stone hall was torch-lit, but Jaffar blended into the shadows easily.

"Jaffar," she called softly, "please, wait..." She clasped her hands worriedly, looking around uneasily. "Jaffar," she called again, shakily, "I-I...I can't see you..."

Jaffar gave no reply; he just stepped into the light of one of the torches silently. Nino ran toward him hurriedly, as though being near him would make her feel more at ease. Her footfalls made loud taps on the hard stone.

This was not good. The prince would no doubt be calling for guards as soon as he awoke, and while Jaffar could easily evade any guards by sticking to the shadows, Nino had had no such training. He was being forced to go slowly when he had to leave as fast as possible.

"Hurry," he commanded the young mage as he slipped further ahead, making sure to stay in the torchlight so that Nino might be able to follow him.

"J-Jaffar, why are you doing this?" Nino asked breathlessly as she ran to keep up with the assassin. "The law o-of the Fang—"

"I don't care," Jaffar cut her off bluntly, ceasing his strides abruptly. He turned around, staring straight into the green-haired girl's eyes as she caught up to him. She stared back, blinking rapidly in confusion.

"B-but Jaffar...Mother—"

"I don't _care_ what that woman says!" Jaffar retorted with such heat that it surprised him. Sonia wanted him to _kill_ this girl!

But he was done with the Black Fang. He was going to make sure no harm came to Nino. That was all he cared about, and all that mattered to him.

For an instant, he considered telling Nino everything...the effect she had had on him, his desire to protect her...

...Sonia's orders...

But a distant noise stopped him, coming from the end of the hallway which they were traveling towards.

It was the clank of armor.

Immediately, Jaffar pulled a confused Nino into the shadows—obviously, her hearing was not as precise as his, so she had not heard the sound.

The assassin pushed the mage against the wall, probably more forcefully than he would have wanted to. When she tried to protest, he put his hand against her mouth.

"Not a sound," he whispered.

Nino's eyes widened fearfully as she realized what was happening, but she nodded quickly.

Jaffar quickly slipped forward, under a torch and into the shadow closer to where the sound was coming from. He heard only Nino's quick breathing for a few moments, before the clank came again—several of them. There was also the sound of swishing cloth, as though someone wearing a dress was walking with the armored soldiers.

_That_ confused the assassin. He did know that the queen also lived in the manse, but what would she be doing awake at such an hour?

Darting forward under another torch, he crouched and watched silently as the group he had heard rounded the corner of the hallway.

The queen was not with the armored soldiers—it was someone far worse.

Ursula.

The assassin heard a terrified gasp come from Nino as she caught sight of who was leading the group. Turning around, he looked at the shadows where he had hidden the young mage. To the naked eye, she was invisible, but Jaffar could make out her silhouette easily. She was splayed against the wall, trying her best to keep silent.

Jaffar only hoped that Ursula would not catch sight of her.

Ursula and her armored entourage walked further into the hallway, the clanks of the soldiers' armor becoming louder and louder.

Taking one last glance at Nino, the assassin stepped into the light. Hopefully, Ursula would believe the assassin had completed his job and would leave.

A smirk graced the valkyrie's lips as she noticed the assassin. "Finished already, Jaffar?" she asked, sounding only slightly surprised. "Such skill. I can see why they call you the Angel of Death." She chuckled slightly. "Sonia told me that you were behaving oddly, but it appears her fears were groundless."

So that was why she was here. Sonia had sent the valkyrie to make sure Jaffar had done his job.

But everything seemed to be going smoothly. For all intensive purposes, it seemed Jaffar had done his job. The mere sight of the assassin was proof enough to Ursula that the prince was dead.

But at that moment, all hell decided to break loose.

"_I'm sorry!_"

For the second time in his life, Jaffar was terrified—and rightly so.

Nino dashed out of her hiding place, tears streaking down her face. She ran straight towards Ursula and flung her arms around the valkyrie, crying into the blue-haired woman's chest.

Ursula seemed too dumbfounded to do or say anything.

"I-I'm s-sorry!" Nino sobbed. "I-It's not J-Jaffar's f-fault...d-don't punish h-him..."

Ursula, however, regaining her senses, pushed the young mage off her and to the floor. Nino could not even get up; she could only stare at the valkyrie in disbelief and terror.

Ursula's expression became one of fury as she turned to Jaffar. "_So_," she uttered, her voice full of hatred, "the girl is still alive."

Jaffar could feel his own rage building within him. Did Ursula also intend on killing Nino? He would _not_ let her succeed.

"I suppose you didn't kill the prince, either," Ursula spat.

"I-It's not h-his f-fault—" Nino sobbed weakly, still on the floor.

"Shut up!" Ursula cut her off, glaring at the green-haired girl in disgust. Nino sank further against the floor.

But Jaffar had had enough. "You will not touch her," he commanded angrily.

Ursula looked up at the assassin, but she kept an arm pointed at Nino. "Oh? And when did you become my superior, Jaffar?" she asked, equally spiteful. The hand she had pointed at the young mage began to glow green, and a crackling magical aura appeared around it. "I have just as much power as you do, Jaffar. And if you're not going to do your job, then I'll just have to do it _for_ you."

Nino could only put up her hand in a vain attempt to shield herself. Her eyes clearly showed mortal terror. She was going to die.

Jaffar, however, was not about to let Ursula harm Nino in any way. In an instant, he was behind the valkyrie, one arm around her and the other holding a blood-red dagger right in front of her neck.

"I will not let you harm Nino," he stated resolutely.

Nino took the chance to scramble up and away from Ursula, but the valkyrie resisted the assassin's grip and managed to point the magical energy she had gathered in her hand directly at his face. Jaffar was blasted backwards, temporarily blinded by the flash of the spell. He got up quickly, however. The right side of his face burned with pain, but it would take more than that to bring him down.

As his vision cleared and he stared down Ursula, he felt Nino grab him from behind, huddling behind him for protection.

"So it seems you have some human emotion in you after all, Jaffar," Ursula said spitefully. "You intend to betray the Fang?"

"I will _not_ let Nino die," Jaffar replied, feeling Nino's grip on his waist tighten as he spoke. "Get in my way, and I'll kill you."

"So be it," Ursula snapped. Turning around towards the soldiers that had followed her, she called, "Maxime!"

One of the soldiers stepped forward. "I'm here," he replied.

Ursula smirked. "Take your men and douse all the lights. Your targets are Prince Zephiel and the two traitors. Make sure they die slowly."

"Understood," the soldier replied, before turning towards the other soldiers and marching off.

The valkyrie turned back to Jaffar and Nino, smirking all the while. "You may be the Angel of Death, Jaffar, but you won't be able to face all of my soldiers at once," she declared smugly. "And they will make _sure_ Nino is killed."

And then, with a laugh and a flash of light, Ursula was gone.

That left Nino and Jaffar alone for the time being.

The assassin disengaged the young mage's arms from around his waist, turning to look at her. He found her with fearful tears in her eyes.

"W-why d-do you want to p-protect me, J-Jaffar?" she sobbed. "I-I'm a f-failure...I-I couldn't even fulfill m-my f-first assignment..."

"That doesn't matter," Jaffar replied calmly. He bent down on one knee, so that his face was level with hers. "Nino," he said softly. "I want you to flee."

She attempted to protest. "B-but J-Jaffar—"

"I want you to flee," Jaffar repeated, cutting her off.

"B-but w-what about y-you?" she asked, wiping her eyes.

"I will hold the soldiers off," he replied. "If the lights are out, you should be able to make your escape without being detected."

"B-but w-what if y-you get h-hurt?" she asked softly.

"I will be all right," he responded. Truthfully, though, he didn't know whether he would be able to handle all of the soldiers at once. But to him, it no longer mattered whether he lived or died. He had spent his life working for evil and never realizing it, but now he was done. His only purpose now was to protect Nino. If he died, he wouldn't care, as long as Nino was safe. If he lived through the night...he would just be a corpse, a being breathing but not living. He would have no purpose in life anymore.

But what would happen after tonight did not concern him at the moment. First, he had to make sure Nino would be safe.

"Please, Nino," he said softly. "You have to flee."

She sniffed, but then shook her head resolutely. "No," she responded. "I-I'm staying with you."

"_No_," Jaffar commanded. He was not about to let Nino get herself killed by staying with him. Jaffar deserved to die for the murders he had committed in the name of evil, but Nino...she was completely innocent. She deserved to live. "Nino," he pleaded one last time, "you must live. You are—" strangely, he found the words difficult to say, "—y-you are...worthy of living..."

The clanks of the soldiers' armor sounded again, indicating that they were coming back.

"There is not much time," Jaffar told the young mage. "Please...live, Nino."

And giving Nino a final, gentle push in the direction of the exit, Jaffar ran towards the approaching soldiers, ready to face his fate.

* * *

I'm sorry...I know you were all expecting Eliwood and company to show up this chapter, and that this chapter is way too short. But that last line...I just _couldn't_ keep writing in the same chapter with a line like that.  
_However_, I will do my best to have the next chapter up by the weekend, if possible. I figure it's the least I can do for leaving you all hanging like this.  
Anyway...what did you think of this chapter?

Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT


	7. Compassion

For those of you who care (i.e. none of you :/) the "...food..." reference before the last chapter was from Strong Bad e-mails. If you've never seen Strong Bad's e-mails, go to homestarrunner. com and watch them now. They're hilarious.

_Firelien_: Have you left a paper assigned a week prior left until 10:00 the night before it's due? If not, then you're not the epitome of procrastination—that's _my_ job ;P (for everything but fanfictions, of course :D)

_timmycheese_: It's all right, you can calm down...

_The Story Master 125_: I'll make fun of your spelling wherever I feel like it, thank you :P

_Ragnarok-legend_: OK! The chapter's here! Please don't kill me...

_Ryst_: "Against the game script" is my specialty, if you haven't noticed :P Thanks!

_Winteress_: YES! GO RED SOX! WE BEAT THE YANKEES, AND WE'RE GOING TO BEAT THE CARDINALS! AND I'M SCREAMING WAY TOO MUCH! :D :D :D

_Mornie_: Thanks for your review!

_AmbieChan_: What's that...the fifth time now? :D And as for the AP exam...it will _seem_ really hard, but it's actually easier than you think to get a good score. Look at it this way: the maximum number of points on the test (through some weird multiplying) is 180. To get a 5 on the exam, you need to get around 114. That's _63 percent_. Oh, and if you're wondering, I got a 4.

_MagicianFairy_: Thanks for your review!

_Flaming Soul_: I love writing cliffhangers as well; keeps the readers interested. _Reading_ a cliffhanger, on the other hand...

_Emotion Changing Reviewer_: Reference? --points upward--

_Icy AngelWings_ (x3!): Thanks for your reviews!

_Bloody Mary_: I wrote it very _well_...sorry, I'm a stickler for those grammar things :/

_Inferno-Hero_: Thanks for your review!

_hyliansage_: Yes...um, "working." I really hope you _are_ working on it, I liked that story...

_Juggernaut_ (x4!!): Thanks a lot of reviews...thanks!

_Oswin the Nino Fanatic_: Don't go getting dirty thoughts just yet. You can save that for the end ;)

_TrisRika_: Actually, I don't like Eliwood either :P Hector is so much better...

_FireEdge_: Good! We need an update to _Stray Arrow_...

--tries to think of a food-related reference but fails-- Um...Chapter 7!

**Chapter Seven**  
**Compassion**

Jaffar did not look back.

It was a good thing that he didn't. If he had, he would have seen Nino rooted to the spot, staring fixedly at his retreating form.

But thoughts of looking back did not pass through Jaffar's mind. All he knew was that the soldiers, these dangers to Nino's safety, were around the corner of the hallway.

And any threat to Nino's safety had to be eliminated.

The clanks of the soldiers' armors sounded louder and louder as Jaffar neared the corner of the hallway. The corridor around the corner was darkened, but as the assassin peered around the corner, he noticed that one of the soldiers was carrying a lit torch.

This was almost too easy to be true.

Pressing himself against the wall, Jaffar waited until the clanks of the soldiers' indicated that they were close, that most of the torches in that corridor had been snuffed out.

Then he whipped around the corner, locating the torch-bearing soldier in an instant and flying towards him so fast that he was a blur. Before any of the other soldiers even had time to widen their eyes in surprise, the soldier that had been carrying the torch was beheaded.

The assassin didn't waste a millisecond. Whipping around, he snatched the torch out of the soldier's lifeless hand and flung it as hard as he could down the hallway.

The remaining soldiers had not even noticed the assassin due to his incredible speed. Instead, they turned confusedly and watched as their only hope of survival sailed down the corridor and hit the floor, its light snuffed out instantly.

That left several confused soldiers quite literally in the dark.

Jaffar stood unnoticed in their midst, his well-trained night vision enabling him to see the soldiers clearly as their gazes darted about frantically, some muttering incoherent words of terror under their breath.

The assassin did nothing except flip his daggers into his hands.

This was what he had done all his life.

-----

He stood alone, in the middle of a circle of death. Blood poured onto the floor, creating a pool of blood that rapidly grew wider.

He had killed them all. They had deserved it. They had intended to hurt Nino.

But what was he supposed to do now?

"_Oh Saint Elimine!_"

The assassin whirled around, towards the corner he had initially come from, at the sound of a masculine voice.

It was another soldier. He was carrying a torch; apparently he had run into the lit hallway to grab one.

The soldier quickly dropped his lance, holding up his hands above his head, though he still held the torch in his hand. His eyes showed mortal terror, and his voice shook as he yelled, "Please, d-don't hurt me!"

Jaffar gave a deadly whisper. "You were going to kill Nino." He could have killed the soldier right then and there, but some strange feeling prevented him from doing so, a feeling he couldn't identify.

The soldier took a few steps back, his breaths coming in gasps. "I-I w-was just f-following o-orders! P-Please, let me go! I-I s-swear I won't d-do anything!"

The strange feeling surged. Why was it that he didn't want to kill this soldier? His comrades all lay dead about the assassin's feet. What was different about this man?

And then, quite suddenly, he thought of Nino. He saw her, laughing with her brothers, that first time he had met her...

Jaffar closed his eyes and breathed in slowly. Nino would not want Jaffar to kill this soldier, even if he _had_ been ordered to kill her. The soldier had merely been doing what he was told to do, nothing more.

Jaffar realized quickly that this soldier was frighteningly like himself.

But Nino had forgiven Jaffar for simply following orders. She would want him to do the same for this man.

"Go," he breathed.

The soldier's face split into a maniacally ecstatic grin. "Th-thank you! Oh, Saint Elimine thank you!" he shouted.

"Go," Jaffar repeated. It was better that the soldier leave before the assassin decided to change his mind.

"Ye-yes, of course!" the soldier responded fearfully, before running as fast as he could past Jaffar and down the corridor towards the entrance. The light of the torch silhouetted him as he sprinted away from the assassin.

Jaffar closed his eyes again as the image of Nino smiling and laughing played through his mind once again.

He had saved her.

He had saved her, just as she had saved him.

But now that she was safe, what was he going to do?

He couldn't simply go out into the countryside and try to live a normal life. Not like Nino; any reasonably kind person would allow a cute young girl to stay the night, or maybe have some food. But Jaffar's mere appearance struck fear into the hearts of those who gazed upon him.

The Black Fang would be looking for both of them, of course, but which would they rather eliminate: a young girl who could barely use magic, or the most skilled assassin on the continent? Nino's disappearance would go unnoticed by the Fang. Jaffar's would mean extensive searches to find a traitor.

He had no way to live anymore. But yet, as he thought about it, he realized that now, he had no reason to live either. Nino was safe. He had nothing left to do in his life, no reason to keep on living.

Nino was worthy of living. But he was not. He deserved to die for the murders he had committed.

With that thought in mind, he made his decision.

-----

The corridor that stretched from where Jaffar had entered to where the prince's room lay could not have been longer than several yards, yet for the assassin the small hallway seemed to stretch on forever.

His decision had been simple. Doubtlessly the prince would be frantically searching for who had caused such havoc as soon as he saw what had occurred in his manse. Jaffar would make it simple. He would present himself to the prince and tell him everything, though he would make sure not to mention Nino. Then he would be executed for his crimes.

It seemed like such a simple plan, yet Jaffar was having extreme difficulty just making it to the prince's room. A strange, empty feeling filled his being as he walked, and he knew it was from the fact that he was never going to see Nino again.

Nino...

Why did he have to think about her now? He knew that now, she was safe, yet when he thought about her, he was filled with an overwhelming desire to rush to her side, to make sure that she was still well.

He reached the door to the prince's room.

Could he do this?

He looked down, closing his eyes.

_And so it ends..._

His life...was done. He had to stop thinking about Nino. He had to just open the door prince's room...

And he would have done so, if not right then and there, he had heard a faint cry.

"_PRISCILLA!_"

He didn't know who had called that name, or even who the voice was referring to. But he had not been expecting to hear anything, and the sound caused him to look up, at the end of the hallway, where the voice had come from.

And that was when he saw Nino running down the corridor, towards him.

"Nino?" he whispered, more to himself than her.

"Jaffar!" she shouted, running as fast as her small figure could carry her. As she reached the assassin, she flung her arms around him in relief. "You're okay!"

"Nino..." Jaffar repeated in disbelief. What was she doing here?

He was extremely aware of Nino's arms around his waist, of the warmth her little body was giving off. For a moment, he forgot everything that had happened, and he simply stood there, reveling in the feelings Nino's small act was giving him.

And then he snapped back to reality.

Nino was still in the manse. Why had she not left?

"Nino," he repeated again, and she looked up at him inquisitively.

"What is it?" she asked, a large smile plastered on her innocent face.

"I...told you to flee," he whispered slowly. He was not angry; he was fearful for her safety above all else.

Nino looked at the floor, though her arms were still around the assassin. "I...I know," she replied, sounding almost like a child being punished for misbehaving.

She disengaged her arms from around him, causing Jaffar to suddenly feel strangely empty.

"But...these people came and helped me," she went on, smiling slightly and pointing down the hall at two quickly approaching figures.

Jaffar looked at where she was pointing. The figures she was indicating seemed familiar, somehow. One was a tall woman, her long dark-green ponytail flying behind her as she ran. She wore the garb of the nomads of the east, a blue shirt and a long blue skirt that was cut so that the sides of her legs were visible. The other was a man of average height, with short blue hair, who carried a large battle axe and wore a rather imposing amount of armor.

"Nino!" the woman shouted as she approached. Her accent was strange to Jaffar, but he supposed it came from her obvious plainswoman heritage. "You shouldn't run off like that," she reprimanded, though not harshly. "You never know where enemy soldiers may be lurking."

"I know, but it's all right!" Nino responded happily, gesturing at Jaffar. "Jaffar won't let me get hurt."

"Jaffar?" the woman asked, looking at the assassin as though she had seen his face somewhere and was trying to remember when.

"_You._"

The deadly whisper came from the blue-haired man. He raised his axe threateningly, a mad rage towards the assassin glinting in his eyes.

"Hector?" the woman asked confusedly. "What...are you doing?"

"Don't you recognize him, Lyn?!" the man known as Hector nearly screamed, turning to her furiously. "This is the man that stopped us at the Dragon's Gate! This is the man who killed Leila!"

An flicker of recognition passed over Lyn's face, and she turned to the assassin with the same vengeful expression as Hector.

"_No!_" Nino cried suddenly, stepping in front of Jaffar and spreading her arms defensively. The eyes of Lyn and Hector gazed down upon her irefully, causing her to shrink back against Jaffar a little, but she did not move from her position.

"Get out of the way," Hector commanded.

"No!" Nino repeated, shrinking back more. "He hasn't done anything wrong!"

Lyn almost snorted at that. "Hasn't done anything _wrong_?" she asked almost incredulously. "Do you have any idea what this man has done in the past?"

"Yes!" Nino shouted frantically. "B-but it's not his fault! He...he was just d-doing what h-he was told!"

Lyn's anger seemed to diminish somewhat at that comment, but Hector's expression was unchanged. "So what?" he demanded. "He prevented us from rescuing Eliwood's father. He killed Leila. It's—"

"Hector, wait," Lyn interrupted. She turned to Nino. "Nino...is the prince alive?" she asked. Nino, however, turned to Jaffar for an answer.

"Yes," he replied.

Nino turned back to Lyn and Hector, her gaze lowered. "Jaffar...told me to flee," she explained. "He wanted to protect me...and the prince," she added hastily.

Lyn looked at Hector.

"What? What are you looking at _me_ for?" he demanded.

"Why do you not kill me?" Jaffar asked suddenly.

That got everyone's attention. Lyn's face held a confused expression; Hector was rolling his eyes as if to say, "Yeah, why not?"

His question, however, had the greatest effect on Nino. She turned around, looking up at the assassin with an expression of disbelief. "K-...kill you?" she stammered. "W-Why?"

Jaffar closed his eyes, breathing in slowly for the third time that night. These people, Hector and Lyn...Nino would be safe with them. Lyn had even expressed concern on her behalf...

It was clear to Jaffar that he was no longer needed to protect Nino. And if he did not have to protect her anymore...then he had no reason to go on living.

"I am a corpse." He had been working for evil all his life without realizing it. "I have been dead since the day I was born." She no longer had any reason to stay with him. "Just...leave." He deserved to die for the murders he had committed. "Kill me...and don't look back."

"No," Nino said resolutely. Jaffar opened his eyes to find Nino trying to keep herself from crying. "W-Why do you want me to leave? You saved me..." She shook her head. "You protected me, Jaffar. I don't want you to leave me..." She sniffed. "When you told me to flee...I-I was...scared...that you m-might get hurt..."

What was this emotion that he was feeling?

He knew that Nino no longer needed his protection, and yet...he didn't think he could bear leaving her again. The mere sight of her made him _want_ to go on living, to stay by her side forever...

"Hector, Lyn," Nino went on, turning around. "Please...let me...and Jaffar come with you," she pleaded.

"And why should we let you do that?" Hector demanded.

"Hector!" Lyn shouted in a reprimanding tone. "They didn't take the prince's life, so we won't take theirs. They should...be allowed to come with us."

"Hmph." Hector rolled his eyes. "Fine. But don't think for a moment that I trust you," he added, his gaze fixed upon Jaffar. "If you do anything even _remotely_ suspicious, then I will cut you down without hesitation. Got it?"

Jaffar did not reply.

"Jaffar..." Lyn asked hesitantly. "Do you...wish to fight for us?"

Nino turned to him, her eyes pleading with him to say yes.

He couldn't resist her gaze.

"If...Nino wishes me to," he replied.

He couldn't understand. Why was it that everything he was thinking about always centered around Nino? What made her so different from anyone else? Why did she seem so special to him?

Nino's face split into a huge grin. "Thank you, Jaffar!" she exclaimed joyfully.

"Is this acceptable, Nino?" Lyn asked.

She turned around, beaming. "Mm-hmm! Yes! Thank you!"

Lyn couldn't help but smile slightly at the young mage's enthusiasm. "Well, then...welcome aboard," she said. "Now come with us, we should probably be leaving." She and Hector began to walk down the hallway towards the entrance.

Nino turned to Jaffar, beaming up at the assassin's face. "This is great, isn't it, Jaffar?" she asked.

As the two of them walked down the hallway together, Jaffar looked down at Nino's smiling face.

He supposed it was.

He didn't know why. But he knew that he could go on, as long as he was with Nino.

* * *

Gah. Too much...fluff...sugar overload... x.X  
Well, it took me until 12:34 AM, but I finally got this chapter done. I like it. How about you?  
--tries to think of random thing to add--  
Um...GO SOX! We won game 1, only three more to go! :D :D :D

Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT


	8. Hatred

The Red Sox win! THE RED SOX WIN! **THE CURSE HAS BEEN REVERSED!** --is proudly wearing his new 2004 WORLD CHAMPIONS t-shirt--

_timmycheese_: Thanks for your review!

_Lemurian_: Thanks for your review!

_Ryzuki_: Thanks for your review!

_LynxKent Fan_ (x2): YAY! SOX WIN! WOOHOO!

_Ryst_: Can't...think...of Strong Bad...reference...gah. Anyway, Ursula is already dead by now. If she hadn't been killed, then Nino would have been Bolting-ed into oblivion. At least, that's what always happens in my game :/

_Firelien_: It's never really explained how Hector knows that Jaffar killed Leila, but somehow or other he does. I guess he just saw Jaffar at the Dragon's Gate and put two and two together, because most likely Leila was murdered...well, for lack of a better term, "skillfully."

_FireEdge_: For absolutely no reason: UPDATE _STRAY ARROW_! I know it's not late, but you need _some_ encouragement :P

_The Story Master 125_: Well you can go tell your dad that TheOneAndOnlyT says "In your face, Yankees fan! Red Sox won!" :P

_Inferno-Hero_: I've already read basically all of Pureauthor's stories. I wish I could write as well as he does :/

_Flaming Soul_: It's 12:02 AM as I write this response. Actually, I get my best writing done around this time. I don't know why, I just do. Weird.

_icy angelwings_: I don't use yahoo messenger, I use AIM. My screen name is TheOneAndOnlyT15.

_Winteress_: RED SOX WIN! Go shove that in your dad's face. Making anti-Boston fans shut up is the greatest feeling ever :D

_demonesszen_: Lyn, not vengeful? Think of the bandits at the beginning of the game. I would think that Lyn is forgiving by nature, but for some events she feels as though she can't forgive. I think Leila's death was one of them, until she heard Nino's explanation. If _Nino_ of all people were to tell her that Jaffar was just following orders, well...she has to see _some_ truth in it.

_lzn64_: Your _Crossroads of the Heart_ story is so much better than anything I could do :/ I hope you continue it.

_Ragnarok-legend_: Thanks for your review!

_Bloody Mary_: Thanks for your review!

_Jeanie _(x2): See my response to demonesszen about Lyn getting mad. As for the Nino-using-staves thing, doesn't Sonia say at some point that Nino's family was the most powerful magic users in all of Elibe? I'm sure a lot of that power must have transferred to her. Hence her natural ability to use magic, and her magical power.

_gentleness28_ (x2): Thanks for your reviews! Sorry, but I really can't find a way to respond to your entire review :/

_Oswin the Nino Fan_ (x3!): Thanks for your reviews!

_Sword of Seals_: Alliance? What's the Alliance?

_Juggernaut_: Not Jaffar, _Heath_ is the best character in the game! He rules!

_Spectral Flame_: Thanks for your review!

_hyliansage_: Yes, "Matt" will be here this chapter. No need to worry...

_Emotion Changing Reviewer_: Thanks for your review!

Whew! That was a lot of reviews...now, Chapter 8!

**Important Author's Note:** Please be forewarned: this chapter contains a little strong language.

**Chapter Eight**  
**Hatred**

Nino walked beside the assassin in the cool night air as the two of them, led by Lyn and Hector, headed towards the camp of the "army," if one could call it that. The camp was made up of a circle of tents, lit by a campfire and several torches at the center. There were not as many tents as Jaffar had been expecting, though—a cursory glance revealed barely fifteen of them.

"Um, Lyn?" Nino asked as she walked.

Lyn stopped walking and turned around, a small smile on her face. "What is it?"

"Um..." she began, but she seemed to be having trouble trying to put her question into words. "If...if Jaffar and I—" at this she looked up at the assassin, who turned his head towards her silently in response, "—if we're going to fight for you..." she turned back to Lyn, "um, who...are you fighting?"

Lyn's expression did not change. "Eliwood and Mark will tell you everything," she replied kindly. It seemed to Jaffar as though the plainswoman had taken a liking to Nino.

"Who are they?" Nino asked in response.

"They're in charge of our little group," Hector replied gruffly, turning around to face the pair. "Mind you, I still think you're still our enemies," he went on sharply, causing Nino to huddle closer to Jaffar. "But Eliwood makes the decisions around here. If he says you can be trusted, then you can be trusted. But until he does, watch yourself."

Nino huddled even closer to the assassin. "A-all right..."

Jaffar looked down at the young mage, feeling another surge of the feeling to protect her after Hector's comment. For the second time that night, he felt extremely aware of Nino's little body pressed against his.

But it was only for a moment. "Don't worry," Lyn said, as though she was talking to a scared child. "Everything will be fine." Hector rolled his eyes at that remark, but remained silent.

Nino gave Lyn a small smile, and relaxed somewhat, moving her body away from the assassin's.

His body felt strangely cold compared to the warmth he had just felt when Nino's body was pressed against his.

But he walked on silently, preferring not to dwell on such thoughts when Nino might still be in danger.

-----

The four of them walked between two tents and into the circle, and immediately Jaffar was shoved roughly to the side as one of the members of the army angrily stormed past. The assassin turned to the soldier, but his assailant did not turn. All Jaffar could see of him was a head of short, dark-red hair and a large broadsword strapped to his back. Turning his head in the opposite direction, he caught sight of a young woman with the same hair color and a green-and-white dress before she ducked into a tent.

That was certainly strange. But he immediately dismissed the incident, as it did not seem to concern him.

He followed Lyn and Hector as they walked towards the campfire in the middle of the circle of tents. Two people were sitting on opposite sides of the fire. One was a man, obviously a knight, who had light brown hair and wore a green plate of armor. He was saying something to a young woman sitting opposite him, who had long, curly lavender hair and a white shirt and skirt. Her face was downcast, and by the light of the fire, Jaffar could see that the young woman had a fierce blush on her face.

"_Sain!_" Lyn reprimanded as she approached the man, who turned around confusedly. "I thought I _told_ you to stop harassing Florina! Honestly!"

"B-but I didn't do anything!" the man known as Sain defended himself. "Ask her yourself!"

"H-he d-didn't," the young woman known as Florina stammered, rising and walking timidly over to Lyn. She still held a fierce blush on her face, however.

"Florina, are you all right?" Hector asked.

She shook her head.

"My! And what do we have here?" Sain's enthusiastic voice suddenly diverted Jaffar's attention from the other conversation. He immediately turned his attention to Sain, who rose to his full height and smiled down at Nino.

"And what might your name be, little angel?" he asked cheerfully.

"Hello!" Nino responded just as cheerfully, a bright smile on her face, though she did blush slightly at Sain's compliment. "I'm Nino." She gestured to the assassin. "This is—"

"Nino, eh?" Sain cut her off, still smiling broadly, though he seemed to be trying to remember her name from somewhere. "Oh, yes, you!" he suddenly shouted in recognition. "I see you've decided to join the right side."

Nino blinked a few times confusedly before averting her gaze. "Um...yes, I suppose," she replied, looking up at Jaffar. "We...haven't really been accepted yet."

"Well, that shouldn't pose any problems!" Sain responded enthusiastically. He suddenly took her hand in both of his. "I'm sure you'll fit in here just fine, little Nino!"

Nino's gave Sain a small smile, before he released her hand and she turned back to Jaffar. "This is Jaffar," she introduced the assassin, her smile widening.

Sain was still smiling cheerfully, but his only word to the assassin was "Hello."

Jaffar gave no reply, only stared at the knight intently. He wasn't sure why, but he didn't like this man's interest in Nino. Unconsciously, he protectively moved a tiny bit closer to the young mage. Neither Nino nor Sain seemed to notice.

"Nino? Jaffar?" Lyn suddenly called. The pair walked over to the plainswoman, but not before Sain gave Nino an enthusiastic "good luck!"

Again, Jaffar felt the same strange feeling course through him. Sain shouldn't have been acting that way towards Nino. He couldn't tell why, but something in the assassin told him that Sain wanted to take Nino away from him. And he couldn't have that.

"What is it?" Nino asked as they approached the plainswoman.

Lyn glanced at Florina, a slight blush on the former's cheeks. "Florina just told me that Eliwood is, uh..." she seemed to be searching for the right word, "...unavailable right now. We'll have to talk with Mark instead."

Hector chuckled. "Eliwood's a damn lucky man right now," he remarked. That only caused Lyn to roll her eyes.

-----

"So, Jaffar and Nino," Mark remarked, running a hand through his brown hair, as the pair stood in his tent—Lyn and Hector had left to talk to other members of the army. The light from a small lantern illuminated several maps strewn about the place, along with a few books whose subjects Jaffar couldn't make out. Nino looked about nervously, though Jaffar could understand her fear—what if they weren't accepted? What if they were still regarded as enemies?

Such a rejection would have dire consequences. Jaffar would be able to protect Nino for a time, but he could not hold out forever...

"What are your connections to the Black Fang?" Mark suddenly asked.

"None," Jaffar replied flatly. "I no longer work for them." Nino looked up at the assassin, her expression indeterminable.

Was she..._sad_ about leaving the Black Fang? Jaffar wondered if that was actually possible; after all, her own mother had threatened to kill her. Certainly she would be happy to leave...

Mark let a small smile slip onto his normally serious face. "Sorry, I should have asked that differently," he clarified. "What _were_ your connections to the Black Fang?"

"I-I'm Sonia's daughter," Nino responded, her voice subdued. Clearly, the gravity of the situation was getting to her. Not only might she not be accepted by this army, but Sonia would still be looking for her...

No matter. Jaffar would protect her. He would kill Sonia, like he should have done before. Nino would be safe. She _had_ to be kept safe.

"Sonia...hmm." A hand reached out of Mark's green cloak and up to his chin as he pondered what Nino's connection could mean to the army. Then he turned to Jaffar. "And you?"

"I was one of the Four Fangs," Jaffar replied flatly. "Some referred to me as the 'Angel of Death.'"

"_The_ Angel of Death?!" Mark was visibly surprised, but he quickly composed himself. "Why do _you_, of all people, wish to fight for us?"

"I will fight for you because Nino wishes me to fight for you," Jaffar responded, looking to his side at the young mage.

Mark's eyes widened a little as he looked over at the green-haired girl. "And why do you wish to fight for us?"

Nino's face fell. "The Black Fang...has been corrupted," she replied softly.

"Yes, so we've heard," Mark said. "It has become apparent that the Black Fang changed drastically during the past few years. Would the cause of this happen to be your mother?"

"I don't know," Nino replied, shaking her head. Clearly she did not want to talk about Sonia.

"And will you be able to fight?" Mark went on. "Do you use magic?"

"Yes," Nino replied solemnly. "I can use anima magic."

"Very well," Mark said. He turned back to Jaffar. "However, Jaffar..." He was silent for a moment, as if he was wondering how to phrase his question in the best way. "You...are aware that you have killed allies of this army, correct?"

"It's not his fault!" Nino suddenly cried, causing Mark's attention to shift to her. "He...he didn't have any choice..." she stammered. "H-he was just doing what he was told..."

Mark looked back at the assassin, taking a deep breath. "That may be, but even so...one of our soldiers was...in love with a woman that Jaffar assassinated."

"I-It's not his fault," Nino repeated.

"I know that," Mark replied. "But whether or not it is his fault, he still carried out the deed. And this soldier is not going to be happy with this, to say the least."

Nino looked up at Jaffar despairingly, then her gaze dropped to the floor.

"Nino, you must understand," Mark went on. "Knowing his ability, I would gladly allow Jaffar to fight for us. But, considering the circumstances, the choice is...difficult."

Nino only nodded silently, still looking at the ground.

And then, as if on cue, a high, frenzied masculine voice erupted from outside the tactician's tent.

"_Where is he?!_"

The owner of the voice quickly threw open the front flap of the tent, the dim light of the moon and the lantern inside the tent giving him an almost feral appearance. His young face, framed by spiky, sandy-blond hair and sparkling brown eyes, was contorted in fury as he looked straight into Jaffar's eyes. He wore a red cape over a green shirt and white pants—the sort of tight, flexible attire that a thief would wear to keep from making noise.

"_You_," the young man whispered ferociously, drawing a knife from a sheath at his waist, raising it above his head. Jaffar's hands were on his daggers, ready to draw them if the young man actually did attempt to strike.

"This is for Leila," he whispered, bringing his arm back—

"_NO!_" Nino screamed, her hands instinctively grabbing her magic tome from the pouch at her waist. She hurriedly chanted a basic Fire spell—

"_Matthew!_" the tactician shouted suddenly. "Control yourself!"

_Matthew...I'm sorry..._

The words suddenly jumped into the assassin's head. That woman at the Dragon's Gate...Leila. Could this be the same Matthew she had been apologizing to?

Matthew turned to the tactician incredulously, but he kept his knife pointed at Jaffar. "Don't you know who this _is_?!" he shouted furiously.

"I am well aware of what Jaffar has done," Mark replied, his voice calm and level. "But you must not jump to rash conclusions—"

"This isn't a _rash conclusion_!" Matthew replied heatedly, mocking the tactician's words. "He killed Leila! He took away _everything that was happy in my life_!"

"Stop it!" Nino cried suddenly, causing everyone's attention to turn to her. She shook her head furiously, a few tears falling from her eyes. "I-it's—not—Jaffar's—_fault_!" she sobbed, stamping her foot to emphasize the last word. Her teary eyes pleaded with Matthew to reconsider. "Please...he didn't know what he was doing!"

"Bullshit," Matthew whispered, gritting his teeth. Nino's eyes widened in horror as the thief went on. "You don't understand, little girl," he hissed. "You don't know what it's like to have..._everything_ that you love...taken away from you."

Nino shrank back against the wall of the tent, terrified.

Jaffar, meanwhile, could feel the same hatred that he held for Sonia brewing within him towards Matthew. He was threatening Nino, and by the looks of it he wouldn't hesitate to harm her, either.

He reached out towards Matthew, intending to turn him around, to get him to stop—

"Matthew!" Hector's voice suddenly rang out as he opened the front flap of the tent. He was breathless, as though he had been running. "Damn it, Matthew!" he shouted. "I thought I told you to control yourself!"

Mark frowned. "Did you inform him of this?"

Hector turned to the tactician. "Yeah," he sighed. "I...figured he should know as soon as possible."

Mark nodded in understanding. "I see..."

"_Will you all just shut your damn mouths for a moment?!_" Matthew suddenly screamed, which caused all attention to be focused on him. He pointed a shaking hand at Jaffar. "How hard is this for you to _understand_?!" he demanded of the tactician furiously, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. "This—man—killed—Leila! There is _nothing more_ to discuss!"

"Matthew—" Mark began.

"_Shut the hell up!_" Matthew cut him off. "Why the hell isn't this man _dead_ yet?!"

"_What_ is going on here?" Lyn's voice suddenly came from outside the tent. She opened the flap of the tent, and Nino took advantage of the diversion by running over to Jaffar and flinging her arms around him, attempting to protect him from Matthew and also hoping that Jaffar would protect her. Once again, Jaffar was filled with a warm sensation just from Nino's arms.

Lyn walked into the tent, which was quickly becoming rather crowded. She took one look at Matthew's face, understanding everything instantly. "Matthew..." she whispered. "You...found out...didn't you."

Matthew said nothing, just stared at Lyn intently, seething.

Lyn looked down at the ground sadly, then at Jaffar and Nino. "He's...changed, Matthew," she remarked. "Look..." She gestured to the pair. "He acts completely differently around Nino...than what we first saw of him."

Matthew looked over at the pair furiously, but at the sight of Nino with her arms around the assassin, a dam within him broke, and he stared at the assassin with an expression of utter helplessness. "It's not..." he whispered, trying his best to stave off the tears that were rapidly forming in his eyes. "It's not...the same...oh, Saint Elimine..."

And he dashed out of the tent without another word.

Hector sighed heavily. "I'll...go and talk to him," he said slowly. He walked out of the tent.

That left only Jaffar, Nino, Lyn and Mark in the tent. Nino's grip around Jaffar's waist loosened a little with Matthew gone, but she still held onto him.

The assassin felt glad that she did—Jaffar certainly knew by now that he liked having Nino close to him. _Why_ that was...was still a mystery to him.

Mark looked at the floor, sighing. "You...see the problem," he said softly.

"He's changed," Nino tried one last time, echoing Lyn's words. She wiped her eyes of the tears that remained from before. "He's not like he used to be." She looked at Lyn, still holding the assassin protectively. "Even Lyn says so..."

"They...should be allowed to come with us," Lyn added. "It's obvious...that their lives have been very hard. They deserve another chance..."

Jaffar wondered how this woman knew so much about him and Nino. He recalled having the same thoughts about Nino some time ago.

Mark looked away, weighing his options.

"Please, Mark..." Nino pleaded.

Mark looked up, sighing again. "Very...very well," he replied.

Nino gave the tactician a small smile of gratitude.

"But," Mark went on, "I imagine Jaffar will have to remain very careful. Matthew...is obviously still furious. I imagine that this will not be the last time you two meet," he remarked, gesturing to Jaffar. "Be on your guard."

"I understand," Jaffar replied.

The tactician turned to the side, staring at nothing in particular. "Lyn will show you where the supplies are kept," he said.

"Come on," Lyn said softly. The pair followed her out without another word.

* * *

Gah...sorry about the whole late-ness thing. This took a long time to plan out...  
I hope I didn't make Matthew's rage OOC. After all, he _did_ just meet the person who killed Leila, but even still...I don't like what I portrayed for some reason. What do you guys think?  
Hopefully the next chapter will be up sooner...

Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT


	9. Sorrow

People liked my portrayal of Matthew...um, yay? Let's hope I can keep him IC for the rest of the story...

_MagicianFairy_: Does cursing really make a story better or worse? I don't think it makes much of a difference...

_Ryst_: Inter-story connections fun. I thought it would be nice to include those...

_The Blazing Blade_: Stat-wise, actually, Jaffar isn't that great compared to most other characters. But I think we can ignore that for now ;P

_Spectral Flame_: Matthew maybe, but I don't think he's _that_ mad at Sain. He just wants to keep Nino close to him (how sweet) :P

_lzn64_: Thanks for your review!

_Winteress_: Night of Farewells is coming...--looks down-- soon. It was originally supposed to be this chapter, but, well...this chapter got long.

_Fury_: Thanks for your review!

_Ragnarok-legend_: I wouldn't be planning a novelization of Grandia II if I hadn't finished it yet, now would I? :P And on a completely random note, congratulations, you are my 500th reviewer overall! I feel so proud :D

_The Story Master 125_: Study of...skin? That's...weird...

_Icy AngelWings_: Thanks for your review!

_Jeanie_: I try to stick a _Defiance_ connection in every story that I can :P And yes, of course, Matthew and Jaffar will be meeting again...

_FireEdge_: Thanks for your review!

_Flaming Soul_: Even later this time, now it's 12:42 AM as I write this. :P Probably won't get this chapter done on the same night, but still...

_Dracobolt_: Thanks for your review!

_Macross-Green_: Thanks for your review!

_hyliansage_: That was...a lot of rambling :P Go update _Wish_! I've been waiting for awhile :/

_timmycheese_: Thanks for your review!

_Emotion Changing Reviewer_: I hope the mental image that you have isn't dirty :P

_AmbieChan_: I think, actually, that Matthew would have blown up like I made him when he first found out about Jaffar. _After_ that is when he begins to express his rage more "covertly," to use your word. But that's just my thoughts.

_James Holester_: Yes, OOC Out Of Character. Thanks for your review!

_Lemurian 04_: Thanks for your review!

_Nocturna-Fire-Demoness_: Thanks for your review!

_Inferno-Hero_: I'm not complaining about my writing skills! I just think lzn64's story is better than mine. "No matter how good you are, there's always someone better."

_TrisRika_: Thanks for your review!

_Oswin the Nino Fan_: "Nice use of Nino?" --raises eyebrow-- uh...

_demonesszen_: Eliwood being "unavailable" was just one of my various inter-story connections. At this time in my story _Different_, he's in Ninian's tent, trying to comfort her. But they're not doing anything, uh, you know. Hector's just making assumptions :P

_katelynn_: Thanks for your review!

_gentleness28_: Augh, Eliwood is _not_ doing what you think! He's with Ninian, yes...but they aren't doing anything. Hector's just making assumptions...just read _Different_ if you don't believe me! :P

_NekoRaven_: Thanks for your review!

_Ryzuki_: Thanks for your review!

On to chapter 9...

**Chapter Nine**   
**Sorrow**

Lyn had told them everything: they were fighting against Nergal. Jaffar's old master. The assassin's resolve towards his decision to leave the Black Fang grew steadily as Lyn recounted Nergal's heinous acts, both those past and those he was planning for the future. He had essentially taken control over the entire Black Fang within a year through his loyal agent Sonia, who had seduced Brendan Reed easily after the death of his first wife.

Jaffar was not surprised at the revelation that Sonia was the cause of the Black Fang's corruption, but Nino seemed saddened. The assassin couldn't understand why—the woman had tried to _kill_ Nino, and yet the young mage still felt compassion towards her mother. How could this be?

Lyn had provided the pair with a tent, a lantern, and two bedrolls, and then left, telling the pair to get some rest. Jaffar had set the tent up quickly, after all, assassins were well-trained in methods of creating shelter. Nino only watched him quietly, subdued throughout the whole process. When the tent was set up, the pair went inside and, lighting the lantern, sat down on their bedrolls. Jaffar, however, wasn't tired at all. The events of only the past hour were still rushing through his head, and he was still coming to grips with the fact that he would no longer be a member of the Black Fang. He didn't regret his decision, but he knew it would take some getting used to.

He looked over at Nino, at the reason he was even here. She also didn't look tired, despite the fact that night had fallen several hours ago. Then again, Jaffar supposed, she had been through quite a lot as well.

He didn't understand the feelings that came whenever she was close to him, and yet even now, when he was alone with her, he felt the feelings surge once again. He longed to stay with her, to protect her with his very life—

"Jaffar?" Nino said softly, catching his gaze and looking up at him. "What do you think it will be like now?" Her tone was rather uneasy compared to her usual cheerfulness.

"What do you mean?" Jaffar replied, as the question had caught him off guard.

"I mean, do you think we'll be well off here?" she asked, her voice strangely saddened. "We just left the Black Fang behind..."

"You said yourself that the Black Fang has been corrupted," Jaffar responded, intent on the decision he had made previously—he was done with the Black Fang forever.

She looked at the ground sadly. "I know, but...what about Mother? What if we have to fight her?"

Jaffar's first thought was to tell the young mage that he intended to kill Sonia the next time they met, but he knew Nino would not like that answer. Instead, he asked a question he had been wondering about for some time: "Nino...how can you still think about Sonia?"

Nino looked up, confused. "What do you mean by that, Jaffar?" she asked, sounding hurt. "She's my mother..."

"She wants to kill you," Jaffar reminded her. He didn't want to hurt her feelings by saying that. He only wanted to keep her safe...

But his words apparently did not have their intended effect, as Nino's gaze became a mixture of sadness and anger. "No she doesn't," she declared vehemently, though it was more to herself than Jaffar. "She's my mother. She can't..." Tears started welling in her eyes even as she denied Jaffar's claim, refusing to believe that her own mother could hate her so. She shook her head. "Jaffar, you know that, right? Mother can't...she can't...want to kill me...you _know_ that, right?"

Jaffar quickly realized that Nino was expecting an answer from him, but he was torn over what to say. He didn't want to lie to her, but he knew how she would react if he told her the truth...and he didn't want that. Being as indecisive as he was, however, he couldn't hold up to Nino's intense gaze, and he looked away from her guiltily.

Unfortunately, Nino was more than intelligent enough to understand what his silence meant, and the tears that she had been attempting to hold back began to stream forth freely. "N-no..." she whispered, her voice cracking. "Jaffar...she can't...she..."

The rest of her words were drowned in sobs as she threw herself on the bedroll, crying in despair.

Jaffar was left to stare at her, a mixture of emotions running through his body. He felt disgusted with himself at the fact that he had made Nino cry. And he was confused, because he couldn't understand Nino's feelings towards her mother.

But most of all, he felt an overwhelming sorrow pervading through him and the entire tent. He had never seen Nino break down like this before, and more than anything, he wanted her to stop crying, to make the pain coursing through him go away. If Nino was sad, then he was sad, even if he didn't understand why. He just wanted to make her happy again, like she usually was.

The only problem lay in how to go about doing that.

Slowly, haltingly, he moved over to the young mage, whose body was shaking with sobs now. Unsure of what to do, what to say, he slowly placed his hand on her shoulder. "Nino..." he said softly.

She looked up at him, and her watery eyes and tear-streaked face cut into his soul. He couldn't stand seeing her like this...

"J-Jaffar...w-why didn't y-you tell m-me?" she asked, sobbing all the while. "W-why did y-you keep it f-from me?"

"I...didn't want to hurt you," Jaffar answered slowly, but truthfully. "You...were so focused...on pleasing your mother..."

"Oh, Jaffar..." Nino sobbed. Then, quite unexpectedly, she placed her arms around the assassin and began to cry into his shoulder, which sent a now-familiar sensation running throughout his body. Slowly, unsure as to whether it was the right thing to do, he returned the embrace, making the emotions flowing through him increase in intensity.

"She...sh-she really does...want..." Nino whispered, finally coming to grips with what her mother desired.

In the state that she was in, having broken down so completely, Jaffar could only think of the young mage as a scared, defenseless little girl. He tightened his embrace out of protection for the young mage, as though she might disappear if he let go.

He _had_ to protect this girl. From everything. He was the only one she could look to now...

"W-what...are w-we going to d-do now, J-Jaffar?" Nino asked after a time, still sobbing. "M-Mother...she's sure t-to be looking for us n-now..."

Jaffar's gaze hardened, though Nino could not see it. He supposed he could speak more freely now that Nino knew her mother's intentions, and as a result, he whispered angrily, "I'll kill her."

"No!" Nino suddenly cried sharply, raising her head from his shoulder suddenly and looking directly at his face. "Y-you can't do that, Jaffar..." she protested, albeit weakly.

"Why not?" Jaffar demanded, probably more harshly than he would have wanted to. "If Sonia wishes to kill you, then I am going to kill her. She deserves it."

"B-but she's my _mother_, Jaffar!" Nino shouted, more tears streaming down her face. "Y-you can't...you c-can't just _do_ that!"

Jaffar looked away from her, feeling guilty and furious with himself for sparking such a reaction from the young mage. "I...don't understand," he finally said slowly. "Why...do you have so much respect for your mother...even though she wants to kill you?"

"Because she's m-my _mother_!" Nino screamed angrily, causing Jaffar to curse himself further. "And I'm her _daughter_! That's what daughters are supposed to—"

And then, quite suddenly, she stopped. Jaffar looked back at her face, curious as to what had made her silent, and saw a look of realization slowly spreading over the young mage's face.

"Jaffar..." she finally said, softly. "Y-you've...you've n-never had...a f-family...have you?"

"No," Jaffar answered, but there was no emotion in his voice—he did not feel sad or happy because of that fact. He wasn't sure how Nino had figured that out on her own, but...that didn't really matter to him at this point.

"J-Jaffar..." Nino whispered, "I-I'm sorry...I d-didn't realize you didn't...u-understand..."

"It's nothing," Jaffar dismissed the issue. "Don't worry about it."

She looked away sadly. "Jaffar...I-I know...y-you might n-not u-understand this...but please, d-don't hurt Mother. Please..."

He wanted nothing more at that moment to destroy Sonia, to make sure that Nino would never have to worry about her again, but...Nino's request was more important to him than his own feelings. If it would make her happy...

"If you wish me to," Jaffar said softly, "then I will not harm her."

Nino looked back up at the assassin, her eyes pleading with him. "Do you promise?" she asked.

"Yes," Jaffar answered. He couldn't resist her gaze, or the emotions flowing through his body. He would do anything for this girl.

A sad smile made its way onto Nino's face. It was the first true smile he had seen from her that night, and it filled him with a warm sensation to know that he had made her happy again. "Thank you...Jaffar," she whispered.

She lay back on her bedroll. "We should...probably get some rest," she suggested.

"Yes," Jaffar agreed. Slowly, he moved back towards his own bedroll, slightly dismayed at the fact that the emotions he had felt mere moments previously were beginning to leave him. He laid down on the bedroll as Nino put out the lantern.

"Good night, Jaffar," she whispered.

But the assassin couldn't get to sleep. And with the thoughts of the past few hours rushing through his head, he knew he wouldn't fall asleep for a long time.

-----

It was definitely a good thing, however, that Jaffar could not get to sleep.

He didn't know how long he had been laying there on his bedroll in the darkness with his eyes wide open. But at some point—Jaffar estimated it had been about an hour or so since his conversation with Nino had ended—he heard a slight rustle next to him, and then, looking up, he caught sight of a small line of light from an opening in the tent flap before it closed. Then he heard footsteps, running quickly away from the tent...

Jaffar didn't need any further provocation. Standing up quickly, he threw open the flap of the tent. And by the faint light of the campfire shining towards him, he could make out Nino's bedroll—it was empty.

She was trying to run away.

Nearly panicking, Jaffar hurriedly stepped out of the tent, but he caught no sight of Nino—he could only see the campfire and the silhouettes of whoever had watch duty. The shadows were too large to be the young mage, though, and Jaffar knew that if Nino was going to run away, she would be smart enough to avoid getting caught by anyone in the camp. She would not have run in the direction of the campfire.

Jaffar quickly ran around the tent, scanning the area outside of the army's camp for any sign of Nino, before she was too far into the darkness, out of sight...

His trained eyes picked up a very faint shadow moving away from the camp. As fast as he could, he ran after the figure, hoping, _praying_ that it was Nino. He couldn't lose her, after all that had happened that night...

"Nino!" he called as he got close to the figure.

He felt a surge of relief as the figure stopped. It was too dark for him to make out any details of the figure, despite the moon hanging high in the clear sky, but any doubts about whether the figure was Nino disappeared when he heard the young mage's voice ask, "Jaffar?" Her voice was filled with an emotion Jaffar couldn't place. She sounded almost...disappointed?

"Nino, what are you _doing_?" Jaffar demanded. It felt strange to speak to her when he could barely even see her face, but that didn't concern him at the moment.

He could barely make out the green-haired girl turning away, hanging her head. However, she didn't say anything.

"Why are you running away?" Jaffar pressed. He had to know; it didn't make any sense to him. Why would she leave?

"I wasn't running away!" Nino suddenly declared defensively, but then her voice softened considerably. "I was going to come back..."

"Then where are you going? And why by yourself?" Jaffar demanded. Part of him was deeply hurt at the fact that Nino wanted to go off by herself, to leave him alone. He had resolved to protect her, yet she was going off alone...

"I...I wanted to see Mother," Nino whispered, her voice full of an almost childlike shame. "I _have_ to see Mother," she went on, a little louder.

"But—"

"I _know_, Jaffar! I know she wants to kill me!" she shouted suddenly, cutting the assassin off. "But...but I can't believe that. I _have_ to...hear the truth from her..."

"But by yourself?" Jaffar asked almost incredulously. "I could protect you...why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew you wouldn't let me go!" Nino shouted in response, and Jaffar had to admit that she had a point. He certainly wouldn't have allowed Nino to put herself in such danger...

"But I _have_ to go, Jaffar!" she went on. "I know...I understand what you've told me...b-but she's my _mother_!" Though Jaffar could not see her face clearly, he could tell that she was crying, as her voice began to break up. "I-I'm her own flesh a-and _blood_!" She stamped her foot to accentuate the last word. "She just c-couldn't...she's the o-only m-mother I have..."

And once again, her words were drowned in sobs. "Y-you h-have to l-let me g-go, Jaffar..." she pleaded.

But Jaffar was torn. If he allowed Nino to go, there was a good chance that Sonia...well, he didn't want to think about that. And yet, he couldn't stand to see Nino so sad, to feel such pain because of her sorrow...

He took a deep breath.

"If you go...then I go with you," he muttered. At least then, she would be happy, and he could keep her safe...

Nino sniffed. "Y-...y-you'll let me...?"

"Yes," Jaffar replied simply. "Do you know her whereabouts?"

The green-haired girl sniffed again, her voice becoming calmer. "W-well...the mountain fortress has been discovered...so she has to be in the...other place," she responded.

"The Water Temple?" Jaffar asked. If that were true, it would certainly be convenient—the temple, dedicated to the gods of the waters of the seas and rivers, was no more than a half-hour's walk from the prince's manse.

"Yes," Nino replied. "I-It's very late, but...Mother always stays up. She'll be there..."

"But we have to be back before sunrise," Jaffar reminded her. "If we aren't..."

"I know," Nino answered softly. "Please, just...let's go. I...have to do this."

"...All right," Jaffar replied. And slowly, despite Jaffar's better judgment and their inability to see each other clearly, the two of them began walking to the Water Temple.

"Jaffar?" Nino asked softly after a few moments.

"What is it?" Jaffar responded.

"...Thank you," Nino whispered.

And on they walked.

* * *

Jaffar's so sensitive...can't stand those crying chicks :P   
You know what really sucks? When you at first expect to get to an important story point but then realize that your chapter would be too long if you did. That happened here :/ I was expecting to get to Night of Farewells in this chapter, but it kinda got long, and I figured it would be best to post this alone since you guys have been waiting awhile. Don't worry, next chapter will (hopefully) be up soon! 

Please review!!!   
-TheOneAndOnlyT


	10. Confrontation

I apologize for this being so late...I know you guys have been eagerly looking forward to this chapter. It would have been posted earlier, but the site decided to enable and disable the upload process at random times. (And never activate it when I want to post :/ )

_Icy AngelWings_: Sonia will be dead by the end of this chapter :)

_Firelien_: Thanks for your review!

_Ryzuki_: Thanks for your review!

_Lemurian 04_: Thanks for your review! Congrats, you're the 200th reviewer for this story! :D

_Ryst_: You're right; Jaffar will not be the one to kill Sonia. Read and see...

_Bloody Mary_: Hey, who can resist a crying girl? Anyone that can is just heartless :P

_Winteress_: I don't think Jaffar's "touchy" about the issue of family, because he has no feelings whatsoever about having one. And if anything, after seeing what Nino went through with Sonia, I don't think he'd _want_ a mother XP

_Ragnarok-Legend_: No, I never got all the mana eggs. I'm the type who wants to get through the game _before_ doing all the side quests. Unfortunately, you can't really go back too much at the end of that game :/

_Macross-Green_: Thanks for your review!

_Sprinkles_: Thanks for your review!

_MagicianFairy_: Um, did you just call Matthew a "she?" XD

_The Blazing Blade_: Thanks for your review!

_K-Girl_: Thanks for your review!

_Flaming Soul_: The "cuteness" factor is through the roof for this entire pairing, if you haven't noticed already :P. But thanks for your comments.

_FireEdge_: I think I'll add in some stuff about Nino's pendant, mostly because it's part of her B support with Jaffar. Canas should probably appear somewhere in there, just because he's cool. And for the sake of tradition: update _Stray Arrow_! :P

_Jeanie_: I agree with you, actually. It seems as though Nino is in denial about Sonia for quite some time. And when she finally admits it...well, you can see the results in the previous chapter.

_The Story Master 125_: What? But you have to update your fanfic! It takes priority over real life :P

_Emotion Changing Reviewer_: Thanks for your review!

_Spectral Flame_: Sonia will be dead by the end of this chapter, I promise. Also, it's nice to see you over at FESS :)

_Oswin the Nino Fan_: Best author? --blush-- I'm not worthy of _that_ honor. Go read Fierce Deity's stories (they're in my favorites list). He's definitely the best author on the site.

_Nocturna-Fire-Demoness_: Why do you think the previous chapter was not as "worthy?" I want to know how to improve :)

_hyliansage_: Reviewed! Just for you! :P And I will be having a lot of fun with the confrontation between Jaffar and Sonia.

_Merkiel_: Lazy, eh? I can relate :P

_gentleness28_: LOL, no, I don't have a deviantart account. Just so you know, while I may be a good writer, I am the worst artist ever. :P Although I do enjoy looking at fan art...

_lzn64_: Night of Farewells is right now. Read on... :)

_Inferno-Hero_: Sorry, but I'm going to have to say "no" to your question. This may sound a bit harsh, but I really don't want to use up space in a story that _I_ worked on just so _your_ contest can be more well-known. Again, I apologize, but I think you're better off advertising your contest on your own.

_demonesszen_: Thanks for your review!

_AmbieChan_: Thanks for your review!

And now, the long-awaited...

**Chapter Ten**  
**Confrontation**

The Water Temple was not very large and did not stand out among the grassy hills surrounding it, because otherwise the Black Fang would not have chosen it as their backup hideout. The front of the temple was decorated with artwork dedicated to the gods and goddesses of the water, but in the darkness of the night most of the decorations were not visible. There was no door, only an opening about ten feet high at the front of the temple.

While the outside of the temple looked rather plain for what was supposed to be a holy place, the interior was a sight to behold. The temple was filled with pure, clear water, with small islands of stone dotted about the man-made lake. The islands were connected by small bridges that could be raised or lowered with mechanisms deep within the temple, another reason the Black Fang had chosen this place.

While these features were not anything really exceptional, magic within the water made the temple a truly impressive sight at night. A traveler might come during the day and just see a flooded temple, but at night, in the darkness of the temple, the water began to glow with a pale, almost ethereal light. The light was not bright enough to give a person full visibility in the temple, but it gave those who came during the night a feeling of wonder as they gazed upon the magic of the water gods and goddesses.

It also made Jaffar uneasy for Nino's safety as he and the young mage entered the temple. The light of the water made it possible to see Nino's silhouette and not much else. Even with his trained eyes, he would be hard pressed to keep track of her, and if Sonia attacked...well, he didn't want to think about that.

"Look," Nino said softly as they entered, her silhouette pointing at something at the far end of the temple, which had to be several hundred feet away.

Jaffar followed her arm, and noticed that there was, in fact, a bright light at the other side of the building. Though they were hard to make out, Jaffar could see a few figures moving about within the light, but nothing more precise. He also heard the faint sounds of both a man and a woman shouting. He recognized Sonia's voice quickly, but the man's voice was unfamiliar to him.

Then, abruptly, several things happened at once. The bright light quickly turned a ghostly, pale blue, and the little wind that had been blowing into the temple suddenly picked up and became frigid. Nino gasped, recognizing the powerful Fimbulvetr spell—it was obvious that her mother was furious, which would not help the young mage in the least.

Just as quickly as it had appeared, the spell ended, and the light at the other end of the temple turned back to its normal fiery color. At the same time, another light, like a torch, appeared some distance to the side of the original light. It hovered in place for a moment, and then, accompanied by a masculine scream of terror, it suddenly began rushing towards Jaffar and Nino.

The two of them watched the distant spectacle with confusion, both of them creating wild scenarios in their minds as to what might have happened.

Jaffar, however, quickly realized that whoever was carrying the torch towards the two of them was likely hostile.

"Stay close to me," Jaffar warned. Unfortunately Nino, fearful as she was, took the opportunity to huddle right next to the assassin, which filled him with what he knew would be a distracting sensation. There were more pressing matters at hand than his feelings towards Nino, whatever they might be. Her safety was paramount.

The person carrying the torch ran closer, and it became clear that whoever it was, he or she was running _away_ from Sonia and not towards the two of them. The silhouette created by the torch eventually formed into the figure of a middle-aged man, with short, spiky brown hair, and carrying a crude iron axe in his free hand.

"Uncle Jan!" Nino called, apparently recognizing the man. She stepped away from Jaffar and towards the man, but the assassin pulled her back, warning her again to stay close.

"Nino?!" Jan shouted, obviously panicking as he stepped within a few feet of the pair. "What are you _doing_ here?!"

"I...I came to—" Nino began, but she was quickly cut off.

"_Flee this place!_" Jan screamed, paying no heed to Nino's explanation. "That woman!" he went on. "Sonia...she killed the commander! _She killed Brendan!_" Both Nino and Jaffar were taken aback by this, because Brendan was obviously a powerful man, certainly not the type to be taken down by _anyone_...let alone his own wife.

"She's a _demon!_" Jan continued raving. "She's a—"

And then, quite suddenly, there was a bright flash, and numerous torches that lined the interior of the temple magically blazed to life, making everything and everyone in the temple fully visible.

This was unfortunate, because the light allowed Jaffar and Nino to see exactly the person they had been dreading the appearance of—Sonia. She had warped between Jan and the two of them as the torches had lit themselves.

Her attention was not focused on the assassin and young mage, though. It was focused on Jan, who was visibly trembling. He dropped his torch, which fell into the water beside him and went out instantly.

The light was no longer needed, though, to see Sonia's sickly-sweet expression. She crossed her arms over her chest, falsely smiling in a way that might have been used to seduce a man had the circumstances been different.

She mockingly brushed her hair out of her face in an almost girlish manner. "I'm sorry," she said sweetly. "I couldn't hear you. What were you going to say about me?"

Jan didn't reply, he only screamed. Before Sonia could do anything, he was out the doorway of the temple. She made a move to follow him, but apparently decided it was not worth the effort. Instead, she stood there, her back turned to Nino and Jaffar.

For an instant, Jaffar considered plunging his dagger right into Sonia's back, to end it right then and there. But he had promised Nino he would not harm Sonia, so instead he was left there, silently seething. Nino once again huddled close to Jaffar for protection, because Sonia was _not_ happy. The assassin ignored the sensations this gesture sent through him. They had no importance right now.

All three of them stood silently, waiting for someone to make the first move.

"_So_," Sonia finally spoke. It was clear from just that one word that Sonia's rage was beyond comprehension. "Nino," she breathed. "You have failed. _Again_."

But Nino was intent on persuading her mother that what she had done was the right thing. "But...Mother..." she whimpered.

"_SHUT UP!_" Sonia screamed, whirling around, her face contorted with fury. The rebuke caused Nino to yelp, huddling closer to Jaffar. The assassin, meanwhile, wondered how he could have been so foolish as to promise Nino not to harm this woman. Yet he kept to his word.

"_You_," Sonia seethed, taking a step towards Nino, "are a thoroughly and utterly _useless_ girl."

Fearful tears were streaming down Nino's face now. "M-mother...I-I'm your _daughter_..." she pleaded. "Y-you c-can't..."

"_I could never have given birth to a piece of offal like you!_" Sonia screamed, causing Nino to lapse into terrified silence again. Jaffar's hand immediately went to his dagger, ready to draw it if Sonia attacked. He might have made a promise to Nino, but the young mage's safety overrode that.

"_My_ daughter," Sonia muttered ferociously, "would have _learned_ to use magic _correctly_. She would have carried out my orders _without question_. And she would be a _perfect_ specimen, like myself." Her voice suddenly rose in volume. "You are _none_ of those things, Nino! I should have _killed_ you like I did your parents!"

Nino's eyes widened, her face paling considerably. "M-my p-parents?" she asked weakly. "Y-you...I-I'm not..."

Sonia's face suddenly was twisted by a sadistic grin. "That's _right_, Nino! You are _not_ my daughter. I thought you would figure it out before now, but then again, you're not smart enough to think that way, _are_ you?"

Nino shook her head, refusing to believe what she had just been told. "I-I-I'm n-not y-your daughter?"

Sonia actually laughed out loud. "Of _course_ not!" she exclaimed gleefully, as though she had desired to tell Nino this for years. "The only reason you're even _alive_ is because Lord Nergal thought you might have some potential. But you're an absolute _failure!_"

Nino's face was stark white. It couldn't be true. It just couldn't...

"W-why?" she croaked.

"Because your parents were the most powerful sages in all of Lycia," Sonia explained. "They guarded the secret of the dragons...but Lord Nergal and I stole that secret, and killed them, when you were only a baby. I hated the very _thought_ of it, but Lord Nergal thought you might prove useful, so he ordered me to raise you as my daughter." She laughed again. "But look how you turned out! Filled with immense magical power, and you can't even _use_ it!" She suddenly lowered her face very close to Nino's. "Broken weapons have no use, Nino. They are thrown out."

"She's _not_ a _weapon_!" Jaffar retorted, finally having heard enough.

Sonia's gaze turned to Jaffar, and she smirked devilishly. "Ah, Jaffar," she said, in a mocking tone. "What happened to you? _You_ were my most powerful weapon of all!"

Jaffar grit his teeth. "I'm _not_ a weapon...and certainly not _yours_," he breathed. "And neither is Nino." He wasn't sure where the words came from, but he knew they were the truth, and he kept speaking. "_You_ are the weapon, Sonia. Your sole purpose is to kill."

Sonia laughed. "Oh, that's _rich_, Jaffar! Like your purpose is any different! You're an _assassin_!"

"Not anymore," Jaffar retorted. He glanced at Nino, who stared back at him helplessly, unsure of what to do. "Nino has changed me."

"Yes, I suppose she has...her tendency for failure seems to have spread to _you_," Sonia countered spitefully.

"That's all you ever speak of," Jaffar remarked, his voice controlled, but filled with rage. "Whether or not we _failed_. Whether or not we helped _you_ achieve _your_ goals."

Sonia put her hand to her heart in a sarcastic expression of false enlightenment. "Why, you're _right_, Jaffar!" she said softly, though it was obvious she didn't mean it. "What a discovery!" she continued sarcastically. "My _subordinates_ are _supposed_ to serve me!" The façade abruptly ended, and Sonia glared at the assassin hatefully. "You are supposed to follow my orders _without_ question, Jaffar. It doesn't matter what you _think._ You're supposed to _do_ it."

Jaffar shook his head, realizing that no amount of persuasion could convince Sonia to change her ways. "You can never understand," he remarked instead. "To achieve your goals, you think of no one but yourself." He looked again at Nino, who was now crying silently, but staring at Jaffar with a mix of pride and bewilderment. "You put Nino through _torture_ for _fourteen years_...just so you could use her as a _weapon_." He almost snarled with fury as he looked back at the raven-haired woman. "You feel _nothing_ for others! Your soul is black and devoid of warmth."

"Pointless sentiments," Sonia countered. "Concern for others will only hamper you in the end." Jaffar tried to reply, but Sonia raised her hands before he could speak, and continued. "But I grow tired of this discussion, Jaffar." She smirked sadistically, delighting in the fearful expression on Nino's face. "Judgment must be passed on those traitorous to the Fang. And I sentence you to death!"

Drawing his daggers, Jaffar was about to lunge at the black-haired woman, but another voice stopped him.

"I will not allow that!"

It was Lyn.

Sonia whirled around in surprise, as Jaffar noticed several figures behind her, led by Lyn and Hector. He wasn't sure how he and Nino had been followed or even noticed at all, though he supposed Nino's shouting outside the camp had attracted the attention of someone on watch duty.

He wasn't quite sure what to think until Sonia laughed. "So you brought some friends of yours, Jaffar?" she asked mockingly. "Well, the more the merrier! Destroying all of you will be quite a pleasure indeed..."

"Nino!" Lyn yelled as she approached the doorway of the temple.

"Sonia!" Hector shouted angrily at the same time.

The raven-haired woman laughed. "Quite a pleasure indeed..." she repeated.

There was a flash, and Sonia suddenly vanished from sight. Before Jaffar could search for her, however, the floor of the temple started to shake. As Lyn, Hector, and the others looked around worriedly, the assassin instinctively grabbed Nino and held her close to his body, shielding her from anything that might harm her.

The young mage barely even responded, still too shocked by Sonia's revelation to do or say anything.

The assassin was lucky that he and Nino were standing on one of the stone islands, as the bridges between them abruptly sank.

Another flash, this time from behind the assassin. He turned his head to find Sonia standing on another island some distance away. More worryingly, though, was the fact that several Black Fang soldiers had appeared seemingly out of nowhere on the other islands that dotted the temple.

"If you want to fight," Sonia called, "then so be it!" She laughed. "Come! Or flee! I care not, as long as you die in pain and fear. I will destroy you, if the Fang's soldiers do not first!"

And with another flash, she was gone, her laugh echoing throughout the temple.

"Damn that woman!" Hector shouted at no one in particular. He looked towards the soldiers that had come with him and Lyn. "Hey! Mark!" he called. "What're we supposed to do now?"

Mark came to the front of the group of soldiers, looking around at the temple that was about to become a battlefield. He looked to be in the middle of a thought when one of the bridges suddenly rose above the water, allowing passage to another island.

"Everyone!" he called to the soldiers. "Over that bridge, quick! We don't know when the bridges will rise or fall."

The army quickly complied, leaving Jaffar, Nino, and the tactician on the original island. Nino was still shocked beyond words as Jaffar released her, looking down at her frightened face with concern.

"Is she...all right?" Mark asked carefully.

A twinge of an unknown emotion passed through the assassin—being concerned for Nino was _his_ responsibility, not the tactician's. "She will be all right," he replied nevertheless.

Mark nodded, and was about to join the rest of the army when Jaffar stopped him.

"Wait," he called.

The tactician turned to the assassin with a questioning look.

"Do not attack Sonia," Jaffar commanded, a hint of anger in his voice. Mark was about to protest when Jaffar explained, "That fight...is mine."

Mark looked as though he would not approve of such an action, but he nevertheless nodded, apparently recognizing the personal nature of the issue. He then ran off to join the others.

Jaffar took the opportunity to see if Nino was well, stooping so his face was level with hers. She was still crying silently, staring ahead blankly, unable to believe what she had been told.

"Nino..." Jaffar said softly.

"D-...did y-you know, Jaffar?" Nino whispered, her voice anguished. "D-did you know...sh-she wasn't...m-my mother?"

"No," Jaffar responded truthfully.

Her face fell. "I-I...I can't believe...sh-she o-only wanted to..._u-use_ me..." she sobbed.

Jaffar wasn't sure how to respond. He remembered his promise to Nino, but now...he wasn't sure if that was still what she wanted. Now that she knew everything...

"W-what...d-do we d-do now?" Nino asked softly, still crying.

Jaffar's grip tightened on his dagger. "We make her pay for what she has done."

Nino looked up at the assassin. She was still crying, but her baby-blue eyes suddenly held a strange glint within themselves...anger? Defiance? Jaffar couldn't tell what it was.

She sniffed, wiping her tears away. "Then let's go," she replied, a hint of rage creeping into her voice.

-----

The path had been cleared for them; all they had to do was follow the army as they quickly dealt with the Black Fang soldiers that had appeared. And before he knew it, he and Nino were standing in front of the stairs leading to the temple's throne room, where they had seen the light come from earlier.

Mark was there waiting for them. "Are you sure you want to do this, Jaffar?" he asked as they approached. "Sonia is...a very powerful sage."

"I don't care," Jaffar replied angrily. "She must die for what she has done."

Mark nodded solemnly. "Very well," he responded.

And Jaffar and Nino walked up the stairs to the throne.

The young mage was silent as they walked. Her eyes were still filled with that strange emotion Jaffar couldn't quite place, but he knew there were more important matters at hand and paid it no mind.

They reached the top of the stairs.

Sonia was there waiting for them, sitting on the throne almost lazily. She chuckled darkly. "Well, well, well..." she said softly. "I knew you would be the first to come."

"Moth—Sonia," Nino said before Jaffar could reply, glaring at the raven-haired woman. She looked as though there were a thousand questions she wanted to ask, but she finally decided on one. "You're...really...not my mother?"

Sonia scoffed. "Of course I'm not!" she answered, as though the very thought made her sick.

"Then why?" Nino pressed, angrier than Jaffar had ever seen her. "Why did you...have to treat me like you did?"

Sonia stood up, glaring hatefully at the young mage. "Because that was the only way to get you to learn," she replied, venom lacing her every word.

Nino took a deep, shuddering breath as Jaffar looked on. "But I _loved_ you!" she screamed, a few angry tears making their way down her face. "I worked my hardest because I thought you would finally appreciate me..._and you didn't even care!_"

The raven-haired woman laughed as if to spite the young mage. "I didn't care because you were _weak_, Nino," she remarked angrily. "You were blessed with unimaginable magical power and you never _once_ were able to refine it."

"_But you didn't have to hurt me!_" Nino screamed. "Mothers are supposed to _love_ their children, not _hurt them!_"

"But I am _not_ your mother, Nino!" Sonia shouted back.

"_YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE!_" Nino retorted. It was as if all of the pain, all of the suffering and anguish that Sonia had caused the young mage was now rushing out all at once. "_YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO **LOVE** ME!_"

Sonia actually laughed in response. "_Love_ you?" she asked incredulously. "I could _never_ love a weak being such as you," she declared hatefully. Then, as if she had desired to say it for years, she said, "I _loathe_ you, Nino. Your very _existence_ was a burden to me." She smirked. "I'm going to _kill_ you now like I should have when you were a baby."

A maddening rage filled Nino's eyes at those words...and Jaffar knew what it meant. He had seen it before...when someone was that angry, that filled with rage...her only thought now would be to harm Sonia as much as she possibly could, to pay her back for all of the pain she had caused her...

The Fimbulvetr tome came out of the young mage's pouch effortlessly; she was chanting the words even before the tome was opened.

"_I call upon the power of the goddess of winter!_" she screamed.

Sonia looked on smugly as Nino began the chant. She was obviously confident that the young mage would not be able to finish the spell, but she wasn't about to take any chances. Raising her hand, she fired a blast of magical energy at Nino.

But the young mage dodged to the side with what seemed to be no effort at all, never taking her eyes off the raven-haired woman and never once stopping the spell.

A blue magical aura formed around Nino as the power of the spell began to coalesce.

"_Bring down the power of the wind and snow..._"

And Jaffar could do nothing except watch.

Sonia's eyes widened in fear as she fired another blast, then another...but Nino evaded both, still chanting, never stopping...

The magical aura burned brighter...

"..._of the last winter the world will ever see!_"

Sonia fired two more blasts. Nino dodged one, but ended up right in the path of the second one...until Jaffar jumped in the way instead. The power knocked him to the ground, but it didn't hurt seriously—after all, the blast had only been meant to stop Nino's spell; it was not powerful enough to do any more.

And Sonia could no longer do anything, she had missed her chance...she could only stare fearfully, could only wait for Nino to speak the trigger word of the spell...

"**_FIMBULVETR!_**"

The swirling, frigid whirlwind formed around Sonia before she could even react. Shards of ice flew through the whirlwind, cutting into Sonia's skin in hundreds of places...

And then Nino threw up her arm, unleashing the full power of the incantation.

A massive, massive hunk of ice suddenly burst out from directly under where Sonia was standing, launching her into the air...the top was dreadfully sharp, and Sonia screamed, screamed because she knew it was the end...

She flew up, twirling almost lazily in the air...then fell down, down, down...and was impaled on the tip of the ice, her blood staining the crystal-clear surface...

And then the spell ended, the winds stopped, the ice—as it was magical—faded away. Sonia's body dropped to the floor with a sickening _splat_, a pool of blood rapidly forming around her lifeless form.

Jaffar got up slowly, almost unable to believe the power that Nino had produced. He knew Sonia could not possibly have survived that attack, but he walked over to her body anyway, to make sure she was actually dead. And she unmistakably was.

He stood there silently, staring down at Sonia's body, until he heard Nino's footsteps beside him. He looked over at her...she was staring down at Sonia's body with contempt, hatred in her eyes...

But even as she stared down hatefully, her expression began to change. It was slow at first, but her eyes quickly widened in disbelief...she couldn't believe what she had done...

She looked up at Jaffar, her eyes begging his to understand...

And then, shaking her head, she fell to her knees, and cried hysterically.

* * *

I have nothing to say. 

Please review,  
-TheOneAndOnlyT


	11. Comforting

Well, now that all of the conflict with Sonia is over, it's time to get back to the conflicts with Matthew. He'll be back next chapter, like so many of you have been asking for. As for this chapter, well...let's just say you may like the end of it ;)

_Icy AngelWings_: Er, how can things get better between Nino and Sonia when the latter is _dead_? Or did I just take that question the completely wrong way?

_timmycheese_: Thanks for your review!

_Emotion Changing Reviewer_: Thanks for your review!

_Nocturna-Fire-Demoness_: This chapter is going to be...a lot of fun :)

_FireEdge_: You said you were going to change your last chapter, but it doesn't seem to have changed at all. What happened there?

_Sword of Seals_: Don't worry about the contest, it's no big deal. I would like to see your contest when you post it, though :)

_Kratos Aurion_: I'm surprised you were able to get the name "Kratos Aurion," since I'm sure a lot of ToS fans were jumping for it at their first opportunity, lol. Also, you know you can't support Wil and Lyn, right? :P

_Ero Teagues_: Thanks for your review!

_Firelien_: I know Sonia doesn't actually die until later in the game, but after the Fimbulvetr in this story, if Jaffar had seen that Sonia was still alive, you _know_ he would have killed her right then and there. So really, I was pretty much stuck with that. :/

_Inferno-Hero_: That was...a weird review...

_Winteress_: Thanks for your review!

_Dracobolt_: Thanks for your review!

_Hinata2004_: Considering that I'm writing this, that couldn't have been the end, right? :P

_Ragnarok-Legend_: Thanks for your review!

_Jeanie_: I _knew_ that someone wasn't going to like the fact that it was Nino who killed Sonia. Personally, like I said in the last chapter, I think that although Nino was always cheerful throughout her life with the Black Fang, she only was so happy because she was pushing down her anger and pain from Sonia's actions. And over time, that anger and pain built up, and it eventually had to come out somewhere.

_Ryst_: Thanks for your review!

_Spectral Flame_: Thanks for your review!

_Random Person_: Thanks for your review!

_gentleness28_: Please draw some Nino/Jaffar fan art! I love finding new pieces of art, because, as I've said, I can't draw any of my own for my life. :/

_MagicianFairy_ (x2): Thanks for your reviews!

_Oswin the Nino Fan_: Um...I hope you were kidding about that last part...

_Kayako_: Thanks for your review!

_Poyo_: Thanks for your review!

_Douceur_: Thanks for your review!

We now return to...

**Chapter Eleven**  
**Comforting**

The assassin had thought that Sonia's defeat would only make things better. The Black Fang would be free of her tyrannical rule, and Nino would never have to endure her harsh and unloving punishments again.

Yet it was apparent that the Fang was now in tatters, and Nino...it was clear to Jaffar that she was crying harder than she had ever cried in her entire life, the sadness and pain that she had kept bottled up for so long spilling out with wails that echoed throughout the temple.

And Jaffar felt absolutely miserable.

He couldn't help but feel as thought it was _his_ fault that the young mage was going through this much anguish. And moreover, if Nino was sad, then he was sad. He couldn't stand to see her like this.

He had to do something to help her.

Slowly, he knelt down beside her crumpled form. And then, almost nervously, he reached out a hand, hesitating as it neared her. He dearly wanted to comfort her, but what if she didn't want his help; what if she pushed him away? He didn't know whether he would be able to bear such a rejection.

But his desire to see her happy again eventually conquered his fear of being pushed away, and his hand gently rested itself on her shoulder. "Nino..."

She looked up at the gesture, and her eyes, red with shed tears, locked with the assassin's own. Like earlier that night, the sight of Nino's face tear-streaked and utterly distraught dealt a vicious blow to Jaffar that no weapon could ever hope to accomplish.

He stared helplessly at the young mage, trying to think of something, _anything_ he could say to alleviate her despair, but nothing came to mind. For Nino, however, it seemed that the assassin's gesture of sympathy was enough, that it showed Jaffar cared.

Wailing, she flung herself at the assassin, throwing her arms around him with such force that she nearly knocked him over.

Awkwardly, but surely, he placed his arms around the girl's little body, pulling her close, silently telling her that it was all right, everything was going to be all right...

She, in turn, clung to Jaffar desperately, as though she might die from her anguish then and there if she let go. She cried with desperate abandon, her sobs racking her small figure.

But she seemed to find some comfort in Jaffar holding her, and her cries began to gradually decrease in intensity as Lyn and a pink-haired girl came running up the stairs, their expressions clearly showing that they had been worried for Jaffar and Nino's safety after hearing the young mage's wails.

"Oh, my," the pink-haired girl said sympathetically as she noticed Nino's state. Her hair, tied into two pigtails, framed a pretty face with bright purple eyes, and she wore a long lavender robe of a cleric.

Nino didn't even notice her or Lyn; her face was buried in Jaffar's chest. Jaffar, however, didn't like their presence. _He_ wanted to comfort Nino. He didn't want anyone else to help her, this was what _he_ wanted to do, alone...

Lyn's worried expression silently changed to one of sympathy, and she reached out a hand, stepping forward, intent on soothing the young girl.

But Jaffar's embrace tightened noticeably, and his expression clearly showed to Lyn that he didn't want her help, that this was something he had to do himself. The plainswoman's outstretched hand went up to her mouth instead, and she stood there, staring sadly at the scene before her. The cleric, apparently realizing she was not needed, left quickly, preferring not to witness such a depressing sight.

And Jaffar continued to hold Nino close.

Eventually, though, Nino's crying had to subside, and after several minutes of sobbing into the assassin's chest, she finally calmed herself enough to look up at Jaffar's face.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly, awkwardly. He still wasn't very sure of himself when it came to comforting the young mage through her pain. He hoped he was able to help her...

She shook her head, biting her lip to keep back more tears.

"Nino..." he said, glancing over at Sonia's lifeless body. "You did the right thing," he reassured her, trying to ease her guilt.

"I...I-I killed h-her..." she whispered despairingly, a few more tears falling from her eyes. "I-I killed—"

"She deserved it," Jaffar softly cut her off, "for what she did to you, and to countless others." But even as he said that, the doubts began to set in again. Maybe he wasn't helping her at all, maybe he was just making things worse for her and making her hate him...

Her tear-filled gaze strayed from the assassin's eyes, and she looked over at the Fimbulvetr tome that was now lying open on the floor, the spell that had now, for the first time, taken the life of another. "I-I've never..." she sobbed. "I've n-never...killed a-anyone...before..."

"Then your reaction makes you human," Lyn said suddenly, and Nino's head shot up; she had not noticed the plainswoman was there. "There is not a soul alive that can take another's life and feel nothing," she went on soothingly. "You are no different."

Nino stared at Lyn intently, apparently finding some solace in the plainswoman's words. Jaffar, however, gave the plainswoman an angry glare—what was she thinking, taking away his chance to comfort the young mage?

If Lyn noticed Jaffar's glare, she gave no sign that she did. "But Jaffar is right;" she went on sadly, "Sonia deserved this punishment. You must remember that."

"I know..." Nino responded, sniffing a little. "B-But I still...I didn't want to—"

"Perhaps not," Lyn cut her off gently. "But your reaction is natural, and you will grow used to it in time. It is something every member of an army goes through."

Nino only nodded solemnly, wiping her eyes.

The plainswoman sighed sadly. "We should be getting back to camp," she said softly.

"Yes," Nino said equally softly in response. She looked over at the assassin, who was still glaring at Lyn and didn't notice her. "Jaffar?" she asked, sounding concerned at Jaffar's expression. "Are you all right?"

Jaffar hastily dropped his expression as he turned his head towards the young mage. "It's nothing," he replied.

She stared at him confusedly for a few moments before saying softly, "We should go..."

Jaffar nodded.

Slowly, Nino rose, making Jaffar let go of her as she turned to Lyn. "Thank you," she said softly. "When you came...it let me know that we were friends now." She smiled sadly. "It...meant a lot to me."

Lyn smiled serenely. "You're welcome," she replied.

Nino turned back to Jaffar, still smiling sadly. "Let's go, Jaffar."

Jaffar rose and followed the two of them as they headed down the stairs. He stared angrily at Lyn's back as they walked.

Why did this woman have to take away his chance to comfort Nino?

-----

"Pardon me, milady," someone said as the three of them exited the temple.

A man stood at the entrance of the temple, wearing a long black cloak. He had violet hair and eyes, along with a monocle.

"What is it, Canas?" Lyn asked the dark-robed man.

"There is someone here who says he wishes to speak with Nino," he replied. His way of speaking gave Jaffar the impression that he was very well-educated.

The man known as Canas gestured to his side, and Jaffar and Nino turned—it was Jan.

The brown-haired man's face bore a relieved smile and an expression of disbelief at the same time as he walked towards the young mage. "I'm so glad you're safe," he said softly.

"Uncle Jan..." Nino replied, her voice subdued. "Moth—" She caught herself. "Sonia..."

Jan's smile faded, and his gaze dropped to the ground. "You...found out?" he asked uneasily.

The young mage's eyes widened in confusion and slight anger. "You knew?" she asked.

Jan looked up guiltily. "Yes, I did..." he said apologetically. "But Sonia would have had my head if I let you know. I was a coward...I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Nino's face fell.

"But...there's something I would like to give you," Jan went on. He fished in his pocket for a moment before pulling out a long, golden necklace with a large pendant fastened to it. "This...was your mother's," he explained sadly.

Nino took the pendant, opening it slowly. Jaffar couldn't see what was inside it, but whatever it was caused Nino to gasp.

"Is this...my family?" she asked slowly.

Jan nodded. "Mm-hmm," he replied serenely.

"How did you get this?" Nino asked.

Jan sighed sadly. "Brendan never fully trusted Sonia," he explained. "When she told him that you were her daughter, he was suspicious. He had his agents investigate both her past and yours. He eventually found a maid that used to work in your family's house..." He sighed again. "I was told that she wept with joy when she learned you still lived. She asked that you be given this." He gestured to the pendant.

"Uncle Jan...I..." Nino seemed at a loss for words. "Thank you..."

Jan smiled. "Take care, lass."

-----

Jaffar, Nino, Lyn and Canas trudged back to the camp in silence, preferring to let rest what had just happened than bring it up again. Nino was intently trying to study the pendant in the darkness of the night, but not much happened otherwise.

When the four of them finally reached the camp, Canas went back to his tent silently. Jaffar and Nino were about to do the same, but Lyn stopped the assassin. "Jaffar," she said.

The assassin turned to her. "What is it?" he asked flatly.

"May I speak with you privately for a few moments?" she asked, sounding a little uneasy.

Jaffar glanced at Nino for a moment, then back at the plainswoman. "Fine," he replied.

"Come with me, please," she said, walking towards the fire in the center of the camp.

"Good night, Jaffar," Nino called as he walked towards the fire with the plainswoman. Jaffar turned his head to her, acknowledging what she said, and Nino smiled a little in response before heading off to the tent.

Lyn and Jaffar approached the campfire, where a red-haired knight was now sitting. The knight wore a red armor plate, and was looking about intently, fulfilling his watch duty with vigor as they approached.

"Well met, milady," the knight said in a formal tone as he noticed the plainswoman. "Is something the matter?"

Lyn smiled at the knight's formality. "Kent, will you leave us for a moment, please?" she asked. "I wish to speak with Jaffar privately."

The knight known as Kent nodded. "As you wish, milady," he replied, before rising and heading away from the campfire.

After he left, Lyn gestured to one of the logs surrounding the campfire. "Please, sit down, Jaffar," she said. Jaffar did so.

Lyn sat down on the log next to his. "There is something I have been wondering," she said.

"What is it?" Jaffar asked.

The plainswoman put her hands on the ground behind her and leaned back, her expression indicating that she was thinking about how to best phrase her question. "It's about Nino," she said after awhile.

Jaffar suddenly became defensive. "What about her?" he asked.

Lyn smiled apologetically a little. "Forgive me for intruding on your personal affairs," she said, "but this is just something that I am curious about." She sat up again, gazing intently at the assassin. "You've said several times tonight that the reason you're fighting is for Nino. But I've just been wondering..." Her gaze dropped uneasily. "Why do you feel so obligated to help her?"

Jaffar certainly had not been expecting such a question, and he wasn't sure how to respond. He recalled the first time he had seen her, laughing with her brothers...

"She...needs to be protected," Jaffar replied after a time, deciding it would be the best response.

Lyn smiled a little. "Surely there has to be more of a reason than that," she pressed gently. "Again, I apologize for intruding on your affairs, but...are you indebted to her? Or do you follow her of your own free will?"

Jaffar shifted uneasily, a rarity for him. "I..." he began, but he could not think of anything to say. He had never really thought about it...why _did_ he want to help Nino so much? All he knew was that he wanted to help her...but not _why_ he did. There had to be _some_ reason, though; he could probably figure it out if he thought about it—

"Do you love her?" Lyn asked suddenly.

The assassin certainly hadn't been expecting _that_. He stared at the plainswoman with confusion at the question.

Did he love Nino? It was an emotion the assassin could not fathom.

"I...don't know," he responded truthfully. He did not know how to recognize what love felt like. Was it possible that he did love Nino...and didn't know it?

His hand went to his forehead. This was all too much at once...

Lyn's smile grew a little wider at his gesture. "I realize you probably do not want to speak about that," she said gently. "But she cares for you, you know. I can see it in the way she looks at you."

Perhaps Lyn had been intending to soothe the assassin, but her words had the opposite effect, confusing Jaffar even further. He had already known that Nino cared for him somewhat, she always seemed concerned about him...but he knew Lyn's words implied more feelings than just concern.

What was he supposed to say?

"I...I'm sorry," Lyn said suddenly. "I...didn't mean to fluster you like this." Getting no response from the assassin, she went on, "Don't trouble yourself anymore with this...I'm sorry. Please, just...forget what I said."

But he couldn't; the plainswoman's words had already embedded themselves in his mind and would not leave.

Lyn stood up. "I'm sorry," she apologized again uneasily. "Please, you should...just get some rest." And she hurried off to her own tent without another word.

Jaffar stood up slowly, his thoughts whirling through his head, and he walked towards the tent silently.

Before that conversation, everything had seemed so simple...he wanted to protect Nino, and he stayed with her because of that. But now...love? Did he love Nino? And did Nino love him? Nothing made sense anymore...

-----

The lantern was lit when Jaffar walked into the tent he shared with Nino. The young mage was still awake; she was sitting on her bedroll, hugging her knees to her chest and staring at the ground, but she looked up when Jaffar walked in.

"Hello, Jaffar," she said softly as he entered.

The assassin's thoughts were too confused for him to even acknowledge her greeting. Numbly, he walked over to his bedroll and sat down. He left the lantern lit; there was no reason for him to put it out, because he knew he was not going to get to sleep anytime soon with his thoughts rushing through his head the way they currently were.

Nino, apparently, did not feel sleepy either, as she continued to sit on her bedroll, silently staring at the ground.

The lantern continued burning as the two of them sat silently, both lost in their own thoughts.

After several minutes, however, Nino finally spoke. "Jaffar?" she asked. She sounded uneasy.

The assassin turned to her silently. "What is it?" he asked.

The young mage looked at the ground. "Jaffar..." She looked up at him suddenly, her gaze boring into his. "What did you feel when _you_...first killed someone?" she asked slowly.

His mind wandered back to when he was still the Angel of Death, when his emotions still lay dormant...

"Nothing," he replied truthfully.

Nino blinked in confusion. "Nothing?" she asked. "But Lyn said..." She trailed off, then suddenly demanded, "How did you feel _nothing?_"

Jaffar closed his eyes, his memories coming back to him slowly. "When Nergal found me as an orphan," he explained, "he raised me to be the Angel of Death. He raised me not to think or feel. I just...did what I was told, and that was all."

Nino looked at the floor again for a moment, then back up at Jaffar. "But...you're not like that _now_," she said softly. "What happened? Why are you not like that anymore?"

He stared at Nino intently.

_Do you love her?_

"I met you."

"Me?" She blushed, staring at the assassin in shock. "What...did _I_ do?"

"Before I met you, I was convinced you would be just like Sonia," he explained solemnly. "But...the first time I saw you, you were with the Reed brothers, laughing...you were nothing like I expected."

Nino blinked a few times, failing to grasp what Jaffar was talking about. "But...how did that change you?" she asked.

"I became very interested in you," Jaffar went on. "I wanted to know how you were able to remain so cheerful under the punishments Sonia inflicted upon you." He closed his eyes again. "The more I learned about you...the more I realized how evil Sonia was."

Nino continued to stare at Jaffar silently, but her eyes pleaded him to continue.

He did so. "And then, in the manse...when you said you couldn't kill the prince, because he was just like you. When you said that...I knew that Sonia wanted to kill you, I knew Sonia wanted _me_ to kill you. But I felt as though I had to protect you, because you had suffered so much...because you deserved so much better."

"A-and..." Nino began awkwardly, "_that_ was when you...changed?"

He nodded slowly in response.

She smiled a little. "Jaffar, I..." she began. She looked as though she dearly wanted to thank him, but couldn't find the words that could respect all he had done for her.

He turned away, looking at the ground. "That's why I left the Black Fang...that's why I joined this army...because of you."

"Jaffar..." she whispered. "You did this all...for _me_?"

He nodded solemnly, still staring at the ground.

_Do you love her?_

Nino was silent for a few moments before finally speaking.

"Th-thank you, Jaffar...for everything..." she whispered.

And before he knew what had happened, before he could even turn to her and reply, she had leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

It seemed as though his mind broke down at that moment. Slowly, dumbly, his head turned towards hers, an expression of complete and utter shock spreading over his face.

She was blushing fiercely, but smiling, obviously amazed at her own courage. She nearly giggled when she noticed Jaffar's expression.

Jaffar couldn't think of anything to do, anything to say...

_She cares for you, you know._

"Good night, Jaffar," she whispered, still smiling broadly. Her bright-red face created an almost humorous contrast with her bright-green hair. "And...thank you, again."

And she turned out the lantern and left it at that.

His breath coming in shocked gasps, Jaffar lay back on his bedroll. There were so many thoughts rushing through his head he wasn't even sure what any of them were.

She had _kissed_ him.

He knew it was a futile effort to try to sleep. He stared at the darkness instead, trying to make sense of it all.

But eventually, the adrenaline that had been coursing through him for nearly the entire night finally subsided, and suddenly overcome with exhaustion, the assassin fell asleep.

* * *

--huge AWWWWWWWWWWWW goes up from the crowd...again--  
Aw, she kissed him. The cuteness is overwhelming me. How about you guys?  
Also, I don't like what I wrote for Lyn...do you think I made her OOC?  
Man, this chapter took awhile...it's 1:37 AM now. I should probably go to bed. In the meantime...

Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT


	12. Understanding

I'm feeling the _best_ that I have felt in a long while. Why is that, you ask? Well, it's because I have recently learned that I am now part of the Brown Class of 2009...and that not only means I'll be going to a great college (Ivy League, WOO!), but it also means the college search is officially **_OVER_**. And no college stress means more free time. So I'll be focusing more on this story! (Hopefully.)

_The Story Master 125_: Shake...hands...with Pikachu? :/ Don't tell me you like pokemon...

_Icy AngelWings_: A Mary-Sue (or Gary-Stu for a guy) is the bane of an author's existence. Basically, a Mary-Sue is a perfect character, with abilities usually well beyond that of the fandom's main heroes. A Mary-Sue also usually makes the main character fall in love with her in nothing flat. Basically, what you want to keep in mind when making OC's is that characters aren't perfect. That should help you keep away from Mary-Sues.

_AmbieChan_: I want to include Nino's supports with Canas, but I'm having trouble thinking of a way to insert them. They should appear later though.

_Ryst_: That jealousy of others being with Nino is going to continue into this chapter and later ones. He'll learn to deal with it though :P

_Flaming Soul_: Keep in mind that Jaffar hasn't actually admitted to himself that he's in love. He's still trying to figure it out. :P

_SaiTheInsaneTactican_: Thanks for your review!

_Emotion Changing Reviewer_: Thanks for your review!

_lzn64_: Perhaps you're right, but you do have to keep in mind that Nino probably doesn't know why Jaffar is helping her as much as Jaffar himself does. That's why I had Lyn ask him instead.

_Ragnarok-Legend_: --looks at P.S.-- shh, don't give anything away! I'm saving that stuff for my next story! :P

_Firelien_: Thanks for your review!

_Inferno-Hero_: I don't think I'm going to hit a thousand reviews by far, do you? In any case, I've seen stories with more than 1800 reviews; a thousand isn't really a "world record." But thank you anyway :)

_darkstarredshadowwolf_: Thanks for your review!

_Fury_: Thanks for your review!

_Kratos Aurion_: Like I said to lzn64, Lyn was just curious; after all, it isn't every day that an assassin joins your army because he wants to protect a girl. Lyn might've asked Nino instead, but Jaffar would know why he joined much better than her. That's why I had her ask Jaffar.

_Sword of Seals_: Thanks for your review!

_Dracobolt_: Thanks for your review!

_timmycheese_: This story should probably head through the end of the game.

_Hinata2004_: Lyn, stupid? I was thinking more along the lines of "curious" when I wrote that. :P

_Spectral Flame_: Thanks for your review!

_Bloody Mary_: Thanks for your review!

_Oswin the Nino Fan_: Phew, glad you were kidding about your last review :P

_FireEdge_: I'd review your update, but I can't review the same chapter twice. You made a big improvement though. And as for updating your story, well...this time you have an excuse :P

_Winteress_: Er...that part with Jan wasn't made up. Isn't that mostly said in the game?

_Seproth_: I'm not sure if you've read my other stories, but actually my "trademark" is pretty much taking support conversations and changing them around. So no, you won't have the exact lines from their A support when I get to it, but the important lines will still be there. Stay tuned until then; I hope you'll like what I do with it :)

_katelynn_: Thanks for your review!

_Douceur_: Thanks for your review!

_The Blazing Blade_: Thanks for your review!

_gentleness28_: Yes, well, you _used_ to draw stick figures. I still do :P. I actually have opened a dA account now (under the same username), but there's not much in it. I'm basically a lurker there.

_Jeanie_: About the conversation with Lyn, I get that feeling about half the stuff I write :P. That's why I need you oh-so-sweet reviewers to tell me that I'm wrong...or right, in some cases.

_Kayako_: Thanks for your review!

This is shaping up to be an interesting chapter...read on :)

**Chapter Twelve**  
**Understanding**

The feeling of her lips upon his skin stayed with him the entire night, her youthful, pretty face haunted his dreams. Lyn's words ran through his head over and over again, taunting him, confusing him...

He surprisingly slept late, but after the excitement and confusion of the previous night, it was forgivable. When he awoke, for one, blissful moment, he didn't remember anything, but it all quickly came rushing back as he realized where he was.

Jaffar turned towards Nino's bedroll, expecting to see her sleeping there soundly, but the bedroll was empty. He was worried for a moment until he noticed a small line of daylight coming through the space between the front flaps of the tent.

He guessed she was already up and about, but just to make sure, he slowly stood and walked over to the front of the tent, opening the flap.

The assassin was surprised to see that the sun had already risen a considerable amount, and most of the army was already milling about the center of the camp. He searched through the group for a moment before noticing Nino chatting amiably with another girl he didn't recognize. The young mage laughed a little, and Jaffar marveled at how quickly she had recovered from the trauma she had experienced the previous night. Seeing her there, laughing...it was as though nothing had ever happened.

As it turned out, the entire camp was in an upbeat mood. Jaffar learned, from the bits and pieces of conversations he could make out as he passed through the small crowd, that the army was now close to their goal of reaching the Shrine of Seals. Furthermore, as many army members were excitedly telling one another, the queen had invited the entire army to stay in the manse for one night as repayment for saving the prince. Apparently it would be a much-needed respite from sleeping in tents.

Nino laughed again as Jaffar approached her, and again Jaffar was amazed by how she could be so cheerful even after going through so much pain. The other girl seemed to be an archer—she wore brown huntress's garb and a bandana of the same color, and she held a silver bow by the string in one of her hands. She was a little taller than Nino, and as far as Jaffar could make out, about the same age. The little amount of dark-green hair that could be seen under her bandana was tied into a braided pigtail on either side, which accentuated her similarly-colored eyes and gentle face.

"...to introduce you to the other girls here," she was saying with a warm smile. "I'm sure they'd love to meet you."

Nino smiled back. "Really? That'd be great!" she exclaimed happily. Then, catching his gaze, she turned to Jaffar. She blushed faintly as she gazed at him—Jaffar didn't have to wonder what she was thinking about.

The same event Nino was silently recalling had also engendered the strangest feeling in the assassin. Actually, it was more like a bizarre mixture of two feelings. Nino's gesture of affection the previous night, as awkward as it had made him feel at the time, had done nothing to diminish his desire to stay near and protect her—in fact, it had probably strengthened it. Yet at the same time, he was filled with an uneasy apprehension. Even now, it felt terrifying to be around her; he was afraid any little thing he did might make her dislike him, make her want him to leave. The reason he would care so much about her feelings was unknown to him. All he knew was that it was there.

And the desire and terror mixed to create an emotion that left the assassin utterly baffled.

_Do you love her?_ Lyn's voice asked in his head. Was this love?

"Hello, Jaffar!" Nino greeted him, the pinkish glow having receded from her cheeks. She giggled a little. "You certainly slept late," she chided jokingly.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" he asked in return, completely serious. If the army was preparing for the day, certainly he would have needed to prepare himself as well.

The sniper that Nino had been speaking with decided to explain. "Mark thought that we all deserved to sleep in after a battle so late at night," she said flatly. Her face bore a polite smile, but her expression was one of high suspicion—her face silently screamed, _Nino's friends with **this** guy?_ "You don't have to worry about packing up or anything. We're not going anywhere."

"Jaffar, this is Rebecca," Nino introduced the other girl, still smiling broadly. "Rebecca, this is Jaffar," she said in turn to the sniper.

"Nice to meet you," the girl known as Rebecca greeted him, still smiling politely but obviously resisting an urge to back away uncomfortably. "Nino...has told me about you."

Jaffar acknowledged the greeting with a nod of his head, but he said nothing in return.

Rebecca took this as her sign to leave. "Well, I have to go talk to Wil," she said, turning to Nino and smiling a little more strongly.

"Who's Wil?" Nino asked, genuinely curious.

Rebecca's smile widened a little, and she blushed, looking at the ground. "He's my fiancé," she muttered.

The young mage's eyes widened considerably. "Fiancé?!" she exclaimed loudly enough for the whole camp to hear, clearly amazed. "You mean, like, getting married?!"

"Um, yes," Rebecca replied, blushing even more at all the attention being drawn to her.

"But you're barely older than _me_!"

"But we've known each other for a long time, and we love each other," Rebecca explained happily, regaining enough of her confidence to look back up at Nino. "I don't see why age should have anything to do with it."

"Well, congratulations, then!" the young mage replied cheerfully.

"Thank you," Rebecca replied, blushing slightly again. Then, turning to her tent, she added, "I'll see you around."

"'Bye," Nino responded, and Rebecca walked off to her tent. "Can you believe that, Jaffar?" she asked the assassin after the sniper had left. "She's getting married!"

Jaffar did not reply. It was strange, he thought, that once he had started thinking about love, that other conversations he heard seemed to center around love as well, almost as though he was being mocked for failing to understand his feelings.

But he did not have time to dwell on it, as another voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Ah, you must be Nino and Jaffar."

The two of them turned towards the person that had addressed them, who turned out to be a young man neither of them had seen before. He wore a blue shirt and cape along with brown pants, and he had a rapier strapped to his side. He had short, bright-red hair and clear blue eyes in a face that screamed of valiance and the desire to help the world.

But what more interested Jaffar was the fact that a girl was standing to the young man's side. She had long, pale-green hair and crimson eyes, and wore a teal-colored dress that seemed like something appropriate for a religious dancer. The closeness with which she stood next to the young man and the quick, blushing glances she gave him made it rather obvious to Jaffar that the two were lovers. He had never understood how love felt, but he had seen enough romantic relationships among Black Fang members and other people to recognize when one existed.

And, just like with Rebecca's mention of marriage, the sight of this relationship annoyed Jaffar to no end, and a spring of jealousy began flowing inside the assassin.

Why was it that so many people in the camp seemed to understand love so _easily?_ Within only a few minutes of his first day among the army, he already knew of two relationships that existed (along with one that he had apparently destroyed, if Matthew had spoken the truth), and he was certain there had to be several more. But why were _they_ lucky enough to know how love felt, when he was left in confusion? Why not him? Why—

"My name is Eliwood," the young man introduced himself with a polite smile, breaking Jaffar's train of thought. "I think Mark and the others have told you about me. I..." he blushed a little, "I apologize for being unable to greet you last night."

Nino smiled cheerfully. "Pleased to meet you, Eliwood," she responded. Then, turning to the girl, she added somewhat awkwardly, "Ah...and you are?"

The dancer smiled warmly. "I am called Ninian," she replied. "Pleased to meet you."

"And you must be Jaffar," Eliwood greeted the assassin in turn. He smiled proudly. "I heard of your defense of the prince last night. It is an honor to have a man of such skill in our army."

Jaffar only nodded in acknowledgement, still preoccupied with the adoring glances that the dancer Ninian was giving the young lord without him knowing.

Soon after, Eliwood's stole a loving glance of his own at Ninian, and Jaffar felt his jealousy building. Why were they so _lucky?_

"Well," Eliwood said formally, still smiling. "We are spending a night in the castle, so you should pack up any possessions you wish to bring with you. Merlinus will gather the tents and bedrolls; you don't have to worry about those."

"All right," Nino replied for both her and Jaffar.

And the two of them walked back through the small group towards their tent, Nino chatting excitedly all the while.

"I can't wait to meet the other girls here!" she said cheerfully to the assassin as they walked. "I've never really had that many friends that were girls. I hope they like me."

Jaffar walked beside her silently, listening but only half-interested as his mind was preoccupied with other thoughts. He looked down to his side at the young mage, at the girl he might have loved all along without knowing it. She smiled back up at him as she continued to speak excitedly about all of the people she had met, unknowing of the intentions behind the assassin's gaze.

The idea of love confused him immensely; like all other emotions, knowing about it had never served any purpose to him as an assassin. Yet, so soon after he had met Nino, he now understood happiness, fear, despair...but not love.

He was still grateful to the young mage, though. After all, without her, he would have lived the rest of his life as an unfeeling machine...

The former assassin felt an unknown emotion bubble up inside him at the thought of all Nino had done for him without knowing what she had done. Gazing at the girl's face only seemed to strengthen the emotion.

Whether or not the emotion was love, he couldn't tell. But the feeling was the most pleasing of all the emotions Nino had caused him to feel thus far.

And reveling in it, he continued to gaze at the young mage as they walked and she spoke. He heard none of her words, but he didn't care.

With the emotion warming his insides, he felt the best that he had in a long while.

* * *

Another chapter where I just had to end it with that last line. Sorry, Matthew fans :(  
Jaffar is...sort of...recognizing his feelings. He still doesn't know _what_ the feeling is, but we're getting there!  
Well, I have some celebrating to do, so I'll leave you guys to post your comments. What did you think of this chapter? 

Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT


	13. Left Alone

Okay, so Matthew's _finally_ back this chapter. You can stop harassing me now :

_Hinata2004_: Thanks for your review!

_Kratos Aurion_: Unfortunately for Jaffar, Rebecca's attitude towards him won't be changing anytime soon, even though she will be with Nino quite a bit...

_Flaming Soul_: Use Heath/Priscilla. I COMMAND YOU :P

_littlefreeze_: Thanks for your review!

_Ryzuki_: Thanks for your review!

_Spectral Flame_: I think that quote is true as well. A lot of people think they are experiencing true love when they really aren't. It's a shame really /

_Winteress_: Does it mention what in the story? I can't tell what you're referring to there /

_Bloody Mary_: Thanks for your review!

_Inferno-Hero_: Thanks for your review!

_MagicianFairy_: Canas will be included, but the supports with Erk I'm still unsure about.

_Ragnarok-legend_: This story is going all the way to the end. Oh, and don't worry about the PS, it doesn't look like anyone noticed -shifty eyes-

_Ryst_: A thousand...tubas? Er...

_The Blazing Blade_: Thanks for your review!

_Firelien_: I thought I would be able to finish the Kent/Fiora story soon, but I've been overloaded with work recently. I think it may have to wait until after this story is finished.

_katelynn_: Of course Jaffar is in love! It's just going to be awhile until he recognizes what his feelings are...

_Icy AngelWings_: Well, hope you can keep your OC away from Mary-sue-ness. Thanks for your review!

_timmycheese_: I know the last chapter was short, but I had to end it with that last line. You can't really write any more after a line like that /

_FireEdge_: Well, I'm interested in seeing where _Stray Arrow_ goes now that the "confession" scene has passed. Update soon:)

_Seproth_: Funny, because I was intending to include that support conversation in this story, lol.

_Sword of Seals_: Thanks for your review!

_Emotion Changing Reviewer_: Well, not _everyone_ is in love, but these sort of things tend to get exaggerated when one is jealous :P

_Douceur_: Thanks for your review!

_Kayako_: I _am_ proud :D. The next chapters should be longer...

_Gigantor04_ (x2): Um, what? I don't get it...

_Oswin the Nino Fan_: Well, the next few chapters should be more interesting. The last one was kind of a "placeholder," really...

_nightwaler_: Thanks for your review!

_Jeanie_: You're ALL my "oh-so-sweet" reviewers:) Thanks for your review!

_Hamano Ayumi_: Thanks for your review!

_gentleness28_: Damn, you already guessed my idea with the necklace, and Rebecca's supports haven't even begun yet/ Ah well...

_May_: Thanks for your review!

_foxfiresword_: Thanks for your review!

_lzn64_: Yeah, in our society, Rebecca and Nino would probably be too young to marry...but keep in mind that in medieval societies, girls married much earlier than they do today. And I don't think the couples will "inspire" Jaffar, but he will definitely recognize his feelings eventually :)

_Dreamer of Riddles_: Thanks for your review!

Obsessed with Nino? Well, if you are, that's too bad for you this chapter, because this is...

**Chapter Thirteen**  
**Left Alone**

The room Jaffar and Nino were provided was not lavishly decorated, but it was still well-made. The setting sun cast a glow on the stone floor through a wide window on the wall. The two beds, one at either side of the room, were small and plain but soft and very comfortable.

Nino sat on the edge of her bed now, still cheerful as always, but as she lazily swung her legs back and forth, it became quite clear that she was rather bored. Jaffar lay on his own bed silently, still reflecting on the emotions he had felt earlier that day.

He had considered that perhaps, since his emotions were confusing him so, it would be a good idea to ask someone else to help him sort out his feelings. The problem, however, lay in finding someone to ask. The idea of asking Nino herself horrified him; she had been embarrassed enough the previous night when she had kissed him and such a request would only make her feel extremely awkward and make him look like a fool in her eyes. He also had briefly considered asking Lyn for assistance, but she was the one who had asked him in the first place if he loved Nino, so she obviously had been unable to fathom his feelings as well.

And so he was left to mull over his feelings on his own.

The one thing that kept coming back to him was the fact that Lyn had seemed to recognize the signs of love in him, even though he did not understand any of those signs himself. Why did she think that he loved Nino, when he himself did not know?

He looked over at Nino again, who was still swinging her legs back and forth—the girl just could not keep still. She caught his gaze, and looked back at him, smiling warmly but saying nothing. There was an uneasiness in her eyes, however; there seemed to be something making her nervous.

If anything was bothering Nino, he was concerned for her. "Is everything all right, Nino?" he asked.

She suddenly blushed at his question. "Ah...it's nothing," she replied hastily. "Don't...don't worry about it."

Her reply hurt—why was she pushing him away when he was just trying to help her?

He was going to ask her again, to try once more to comfort her uneasiness, but a knock on the door of the room interrupted their brief conversation. Nino quickly got up, rushing over to the door before Jaffar could speak further. She opened the door and came face-to-face with a smiling Rebecca.

"Hi, Nino!" she greeted the shorter girl cheerfully.

"Hello, Rebecca!" the young mage replied, any uneasiness that had remained from Jaffar's earlier question vanishing instantly. "What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing," Rebecca replied casually. "I was just wondering if you'd like to come with me so you can meet everyone."

"Oh, sure!" Nino responded brightly. She turned to Jaffar. "Hey Jaffar, do you want to come too?"

"Ah," Rebecca interrupted awkwardly before the assassin could reply, and Nino turned back to her. "Um, I don't mean to be rude," she said slowly, awkwardly, "but...I thought it could be just us girls." She smiled uneasily. "A little 'girl time,' you know?"

Nino's expression made it quite clear that she did not know. She looked back at Jaffar uneasily. "Well..."

"It's not the same if there's a man with us," Rebecca attempted to explain, but she sounded very awkward because Jaffar was only a few yards away from her. She looked at Jaffar now, hastily adding, "A-again, I don't mean to be rude, but..."

"I...I suppose..." Nino replied slowly, still staring uneasily at Jaffar. "Um, sorry, Jaffar..." she murmured ashamedly.

"Do what you wish," he said dismissively, but inside he felt anguished. In truth, he did not wish to come with her, knowing he would only see more taunts of love in other members of the army, but it hurt him to see that she desired to spend time with someone besides him. His pain and jealousy ignored the fact that she was clearly torn over what to do.

Nino, however, smiled a little bit at the assassin's reply. "Well...okay. 'Bye, Jaffar. I'll see you later." And led by Rebecca, she quietly left the room.

But Jaffar barely noticed her departure; he was too caught up in his own worried thoughts. Did Nino wish to go with Rebecca because she disliked him? Was that why she had pushed him away when he had tried to comfort her earlier?

The assassin frowned. He knew he was overreacting over something trivial, yet somehow...he couldn't help his reaction. It was almost as though he had lost control over his feelings.

He sat up suddenly. He had to clear his head somehow; his thoughts of Nino were torturing him.

Slowly, he got up and walked over to the door. Though he had never tried it before (as he never previously needed to), he thought taking a walk might clear his mind, remembering how other, less experienced Black Fang members would do the same when their thoughts were cluttering their head. Perhaps taking a walk would help him as well.

-

But after a few minutes of wandering aimlessly through the halls of the manse, Jaffar's thoughts were no less confusing. He simply could not get his mind off Nino, because other than her, what else was there for the assassin to think about? She seemed to be connected to every facet of his life now, to every decision he made.

He kept hearing her happy voice, kept seeing her smiling face...kept feeling the kiss she had given him. He could not stop wondering about the last one. What had it meant? Had it been a gesture of thanks? Or had she kissed him because, as Lyn said, she "cared for him?" Had he enjoyed it? He had been too shocked to really tell how he felt. Did he like it, because...

_Do you love her?_

What did love _feel_ like!

An image of a blushing Eliwood and Ninian jumped into his head.

Did he want to be like them?

His hand went to his forehead in frustration as he walked through another hallway of the manse, paying no attention to any people he came across because he was sure love would find another way to torture him if he did.

What was he supposed to _do_?

He passed by a small balcony.

"Jaffar?"

Lyn's voice.

He stopped, turned to her. She stood leaning on the rail of the small balcony, her long hair and skirt fluttering in the slight wind blowing outside. The sun was setting, and the orange sky caused her figure to appear as a fiery silhouette.

Her expression was sympathetic, the same as it was when she had..._stolen_ his chance to comfort Nino.

He wanted nothing to do with this woman, the woman who had confused him so much in the first place...

"Jaffar..." Lyn said softly. "You're...still thinking about what I said last night, aren't you..." It was barely even a question; apparently the plainswoman was very adept at reading people's emotions...even on someone like Jaffar, who barely showed his emotions whatsoever.

All the anger and confusion she had caused him in just one day was rushing out of him before he knew it. "Why did you have to ask me about..._that_!" he demanded, his right hand suddenly on his dagger, his voice a deadly whisper. Then, quite suddenly, his articulation left him in his frustration. "You—it was simple until—" he tried to rebuke her, but he could not find the words.

Lyn's gaze dropped; she was clearly sorry for confusing the assassin so. "I...I didn't mean to frustrate you," she said softly, apologetically. "I apologize...I didn't understand that you—"

"What does love feel like?" Jaffar cut her off heatedly, intent on getting an answer to the question that had plagued him all day. "How am I supposed to know if I...love her?"

The plainswoman shook her head sadly. "I...don't know," she replied, almost shamefully.

Jaffar's fury at her answer was so great that he might have cut her down then and there if she had not added, "I...have never felt that sort of love myself."

"Then how am I supposed to figure it out!" the assassin demanded, his voice rising uncontrollably in a way that he had never experienced before.

The plainswoman's head rose; there was more confidence, more honesty in her gaze now. "You will know," she replied with what seemed to be absolute certainty, and her confidence only angered the assassin more—why did _she_ know this, and not him? "The time will come when you know. I may not be able to help you, but others will. I can promise you that."

Jaffar's gaze stayed on her eyes furiously, but the plainswoman only stared back unflinchingly. He wanted to cut her down, to wipe that confident expression off her face...because it was clear that she was right. But he didn't want to have to wait for an answer, like she had said. He wanted an answer _now_. He wanted an end to the anguish—

"I...am truly sorry, Jaffar," she said, but her gaze remained sure and steady, and there was a hint of anger in her voice now. She gestured to one of the small swords at his waist. "But...attacking me will not grant your wish any more quickly."

Jaffar's hand suddenly unclenched; he had been gripping the hilt of his dagger so tightly that his knuckles had turned white without him even noticing.

"I realize that this is frustrating for you," she went on, her voice suddenly taking on a soothing tone. "But...I apologize, but I cannot help you. You will have to find someone more...experienced in these matters."

"Tell me," he commanded sharply, clenching his jaw ferociously. "Tell me who to ask." He had to know, _now_.

"There are many in this army that you could talk to," Lyn explained solemnly. "However...I am uncertain how many of them will be comfortable speaking with you."

"They fear me," he said flatly, guessing the meaning in her words.

"If you want me to put it bluntly, then yes, they are afraid of you," the plainswoman confirmed. "But you are a former Black Fang. There is another of your kind in the army, if you did not know."

"Who?"

"His name is Legault."

Legault. The name struck a chord in the assassin's memory. Legault had been known as "the Hurricane" in some circles of the Fang, as the "fifth of the Four Fangs" in others. As his title implied, his skill was second to only that of the Four Fangs themselves, and many had considered him to be the next in line if any of the Four Fangs were to fall.

Yet unexpectedly, just before Jaffar's stand in the Dragon's Gate, he had deserted the Black Fang. He had made off with some of the organization's treasure as well, making his possibly the most spectacular case of treason the Fang had ever seen, and one that did not go unnoticed by its leaders.

Despite their searching, however, the Black Fang had been unable to locate the highly skilled thief. Jaffar had never expected he would have joined up with this army.

"I don't know if he has any more answers for you than I do," Lyn explained. "But he has seen many more years than I have—it cannot hurt to ask him."

Jaffar took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. At least now, there was a chance he might get the answers he sought.

"Very well," he replied flatly.

He turned to leave, to seek out Legault, when another thought popped into his head—the other thing Lyn had said to him the previous night. He turned back to her, and the plainswoman's eyebrows rose inquisitively. "What is it?" she asked.

"Does Nino love _me_?" he asked, completely serious. He wasn't sure whether or not he actually desired the young mage's affection, but this was something that had been plaguing his mind as well...

The corners of Lyn's mouth twitched upwards a little. "That, Jaffar," she replied, "is something only she herself can tell you." She did smile, now. "But if Nino does love you, you will not have to ask her."

-

The frustration had left him. Lyn's words had not given him the answers he desired, but she had told him of a means of getting those answers. And any direction was better than none when it came to this.

What bothered him, though, were the last words the plainswoman had spoken.

_You will not have to ask her._

Did that mean Nino would tell him herself how she felt? Or would someone else inform him? Or—he dreaded this possibility—would it be something he would recognize in her actions? He still didn't know what love felt like himself; how was he supposed to recognize it in another? He could tell when relationships existed between a man and a woman, but love in a single being was something he had never been able to discern.

But he had a more pressing issue at hand right now, and that was locating Legault, the person who might be able to tell him what he needed to know so badly. So far, however, his search had proven fruitless. When the assassin had finally found a member of the army who knew which room he was staying in, he had gone to the room only to find that Legault was not there. His roommate, who turned out to be the violet-haired scholar known as Canas, opened the door instead, holding a thick book under his arm.

"Ah...hello," the shaman greeted politely as he noticed who stood before him. "You are...Jaffar, correct?"

Jaffar nodded, then got right to the point. "Is Legault there?"

Canas adjusted his monocle. "Unfortunately, he is not," he replied. "He said he was going for a walk around the manse."

"Thank you," the assassin replied flatly.

He turned to leave, but Canas stopped him suddenly. "Oh, Jaffar?"

Jaffar turned back to the shaman silently.

He smiled enthusiastically. "I know you currently stay with Nino, so please tell her she is free to see me whenever she likes," he said happily, his tone clearly indicating that he would be delighted to have Nino do just that. "Is that all right?"

"...Very well," Jaffar replied after a time, wondering just what it was that Nino would want to speak with this man about.

"Thank you," the shaman replied, and went back into his room, closing the door.

Jaffar, however, felt the same doubts he had experienced earlier that day rising again as the scholar left. Why did Nino wish to speak with Canas, rather than stay with him? Did she dislike him? Did she wish for him to leave her alone?

He closed his eyes.

And why did he care about Nino's feelings so greatly?

-

The doubts continued to plague him as he searched the quickly-darkening hallways of the manse for Legault. But after several minutes, it seemed as though the slippery thief would just not allow himself to be found, and Jaffar was quickly becoming frustrated again, both at himself and at Legault. Why did this have to be so difficult? All he wanted to know was what love felt like...

He had heard the footsteps behind him, had dismissed it as someone he was not concerned with, perhaps one of the manse's guards. It was only when he heard the footsteps close in on him that he began listening actively.

But by then it was too late; the owner of the footsteps leapt. Someone crashed into him from behind...an arm wrapped around his waist, holding back his own arms...the other arm held a knife to the assassin's neck...

Jaffar didn't have time to wonder who his assailant was, but he was not about to let his attacker follow through with his desire. Quickly, against the pressing of the arm holding him down, he brought his own arm forward...then swung it back, ramming his elbow into his assailant's midsection.

His attacker choked out a few choice words as his grip slackened, the knife clattering to the floor uselessly.

Jaffar didn't waste the opportunity he had made for himself. In a flash, he was behind his assailant, the position he had just been in now reversed as he held his own dagger to his assailant's neck.

That was when he noticed it was Matthew.

"Leila..." the sandy-haired thief wheezed. "I coul—couldn't avenge..."

Jaffar could only stare dumbly, his knife still at Matthew's throat.

"Go ahead, kill me," Matthew choked out, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

But he could not. Killing Matthew would almost certainly lead to his exile from the army...and that meant leaving Nino behind, alone. He couldn't have that...

He let go.

Matthew fell to his knees, clutching at his stomach, but he wasted no time in rebuking Jaffar. He looked up at the assassin hatefully, demanding, "So, you're going to spare my life, is that it!" Slowly, he staggered up, on one knee now but clearly in pain. "Do you think this is going to make amends for what you did? Do you think that I'm just going to..._forgive_ you now?"

Jaffar only stared back at the thief silently.

"You killed Leila," he declared furiously, slowly getting to his feet. His voice was a deadly whisper. "You took her life. I have no forgiveness for you—I don't _care_ what you do; I will hunt you down. You _will_ die for what you have done."

"Killing her was not my intention," Jaffar stated flatly, attempting to use the same argument Nino had used the previous night. His calmness, however, just seemed to infuriate Matthew further.

"Do you think I want your stinking _apologies_!" Matthew exploded, breathing heavily. "The only thing that will satisfy me is your _death_, Jaffar! If you do not want to kill me, then I will destroy you. Do you understand?" He blinked back angry tears that were starting to form in his eyes. "_Nothing_ you do or say will bring Leila back!" he screamed.

"Nor will my death raise her from the grave," Jaffar countered, still perfectly calm.

Matthew clenched his teeth. "It will give you the punishment you deserve, you craven murderer!" he whispered ferociously. "Remember that. You left me alone, and I _will_ get my revenge, even if it takes my entire _life_."

And without another word, Matthew picked up his dropped knife and walked away, down the hall. Jaffar's gaze followed the thief's retreating figure, expecting him to attack again, but Matthew did not even look back.

Jaffar took a deep breath. He would have to be more careful from now on.

-

As the hallways of the manse were shrouded in the darkness of the night, Jaffar began to realize that he was not going to find Legault any time soon. He checked back at the thief's room to see if he had returned, but Canas informed the assassin that he had not.

It had angered him, to be sure, that he had been unable to locate Legault, but he was not as frustrated as he had been that morning. Perhaps he had not been able to speak with the thief today, but he could find him tomorrow. He would find out what he sought eventually.

So for now, he returned to his own room, feeling a little better at the knowledge that Nino would be there. As he approached the door of the room, however, it seemed Rebecca was in the room as well—he heard the sniper's voice from inside, shouting something.

"Well, of _course_ he was surprised!" she was saying, presumably to Nino. "I mean, how many other girls do you think have done that?"

"I know..." Jaffar heard Nino's voice respond. "I'm...I'm just afraid that maybe...you know..."

"Well, why don't you ask him about it?" Rebecca asked in response.

"I can't ask him!" Nino cried fearfully, and Jaffar wondered what it was they were talking about. He had a hunch, but... "W-what if I offended him? W-what if he thinks I'm crazy or something?"

"Well, you won't know until you ask," the sniper encouraged her.

"I-I suppose..."

And that was when Jaffar decided to enter the room.

The two of them were both sitting cross-legged on the floor of the room. Nino's face had been burning red, but she was even more embarrassed when she noticed that Jaffar had walked in. "J-Jaffar!" she stammered, clearly terrified that the assassin might have heard what she was saying.

Rebecca smirked. "I think I'll leave you two alone now..." she said, standing up, and Jaffar could have sworn he saw her give the young mage a small wink. She walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"A-ah...h-hello, Jaffar..." Nino said softly, stuttering, her face still bright-red. Her eyes were on the floor, and she was clearly trying to shrink away from the assassin.

"Nino, is something bothering you?" he asked, concerned. There wasn't much of a point in asking—obviously something was the matter. He just hoped she wouldn't push him away like she had earlier...

The young mage got up slowly, still blushing fiercely. "Jaffar..." she began softly, then apparently decided against it. She shook her head. "N-no. I-it—it's nothing...n-nothing you should worry about." She turned away from him, staring fixedly at the floor.

"Nino..." the assassin said softly, devastated that Nino still didn't desire his help. Remembering how he had comforted the young mage the previous night, he stepped towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Why won't you tell me what is the matter?"

Her head turned, she looked at the hand on her shoulder. Then, taking a deep, shaking breath, she turned fully to the assassin, her face now as red as a tomato. "Jaffar..." Her voice was barely above a whisper; she clearly was thinking against telling him. But she persevered. She stared at the floor, taking another deep breath, and then she spoke. It was slow, halting, but she was speaking nonetheless. "L-last night...d-did I off—offend you?"

It did not take Jaffar much thought to realize what "last night" referred to—the kiss she had given him. But he did not have to wonder about the answer. He had been surprised, too surprised to know how he felt...but he certainly had not been offended by her gesture of affection. That much he could tell, even through his confusion.

"No," he answered flatly. "You didn't."

She looked up at him, eyes wide, clearly unable to believe the answer she had been given. For a moment, Jaffar wondered if his answer had not been the one she wanted, before she let out an explosive breath and her face split into an almost maniacal grin. "Oh, thank you, Jaffar!" she cried happily, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tight. "Thank you!"

Jaffar could only return the embrace silently, his body filling with that warm sensation that seemed to have last come such a long time ago...even though it had only been the previous night.

_Is this love?_ he wondered as the sensation spread through his body.

She let go of him, smiling brightly, and Jaffar felt his doubts from earlier in the day disappearing almost instantly.

He still wasn't sure if the feeling was love. But if it was, he mused, he certainly wouldn't mind being in love with this girl.

* * *

Geez, I can hardly believe I'm a guy after writing all of this. It's so...cute. Even I think I'm taking the fluff a bit far here...  
One question though: is Lyn still in-character? I'm still a bit doubtful about that. 

Please review!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT


	14. First Step

Hey, Legault's finally here! I like the way I portrayed him...

_Flaming Soul_: Thanks for your review!

_Spectral Flame_: That paranoia is intentional, if you haven't noticed. That's what you're like when you're in love, and you're not sure whether the other person loves you back. You overanalyze _everything_ the other person does :P

_Dreamer of Riddles_: Thanks for your review!

_Hamano Ayumi_: I know all about the supports, but thanks for your offer :)

_Fury_: Thanks for your review!

_May_: Thanks for your review!

_Jeanie_: I know Legault's not that old, but he struck me as someone in his late 20's, so that would make Lyn ten years younger than him. That qualifies as "many more years" for me :P

_Lemurian 04_: Thanks for your review!

_hyliansage_ (x4!!): Uh...wow. You wrote too much for me to respond to everything, sorry. XD

_MagicianFairy_: Aesha will be included eventually. How she will be included...well, you'll have to wait to find that one out.

_The Blazing Blade_: I put so much effort into this story that I don't sleep, that's how! :P Thanks for your review!

_BlackEmerald_: Thanks for your review!

_Seproth_: Thanks for your review!

_Emerald-Latias_: Thanks for your review!

_Firelien_: I actually haven't started writing my Kent/Fiora story, but I have several ideas planned. Like I said, I've had too much schoolwork recently to really be able to focus on two stories at once. I think you'll have to wait until this is finished :/

_timmycheese_: Unfortunately, I don't think there's anyone to pair her with, lol. I support Hector/Florina, and I hate Lyn/Rath, so...who else is there?

_Gigantor04_: Um...ok. That whole review still struck me as really weird though :P

_Ragnarok-legend_: Thanks for your review!

_Inferno-Hero_: Thanks for your review!

_FireEdge_: Thanks for your review!

_littlefreeze_: Thanks for your review!

_Poyo_: Well, I've fulfilled your first request, but the second...I don't think I can do that ;)

_TrisRika_: Thanks for your review!

_Oswin the Nino Fan_: Why do you think Nino's acting "weird" around Matthew? That's how I would expect her to act...

_gentleness28_: Oh yes, the request...well, I think you probably already know what it is, but if you could, maybe you could draw a Jaffar/Nino pic? (what else would it be? :P)

_Dark_: I did make Jaffar a "hide-his-emotions" type. That doesn't mean he can't _think_ about emotions though :P

_Nocturna-Fire-Demoness_ (x3!): Haha, you're not the only person who's in shock that I'm male. I can't tell you how many times people assumed I was a girl when I first started writing here :P

_Ryst_: Good, you think Lyn's in character :D I was rather unsure of that at first...

Onward to...

**Chapter Fourteen**  
**First Step**

It was strange, Jaffar thought as the army left the manse and began its march towards the Shrine of Seals, that not only did he not know anything about love, but he was also unsure as to whether or not he _wanted_ to be in love with Nino. The emotions he had felt the previous day, the feelings that he had speculated might be what he wanted to know about, had certainly been pleasant, and if they _were_ love then such an emotion would be desirable in his eyes. But, he wondered, was this search perhaps not really worth it? Could it be that when he discovered how love felt, it would turn out that it was not an emotion he wanted to experience?

He thought back to the reason that he was attempting to learn about this emotion in the first place: Lyn's question. He was not doing this, he reminded himself, because he _wanted_ to love the girl. He simply wanted an answer to the question of whether or not he loved the young mage. He had no idea of what repercussions the answer would have, but that mattered little to him. He just wanted to know...

His thoughts strayed back to the young mage herself; his gaze slowly turned towards the green-haired girl walking alongside him as the army marched towards its goal over the flat plains on the borders of Sacae and Bern. The warm, sunny day seemed to brighten her mood, if that was possible considering her normally bubbly personality. In just one afternoon, with Rebecca's help, Nino had made friends with what seemed to be every female member of the army. As the battalion marched onwards, the young mage was almost constantly chatting with at least one girl (sometimes more), laughing and seeming to forget the seriousness of the battle she would eventually have to take part in.

But Nino seemed to make a point of staying beside the assassin, which was a good thing. After thinking about the events of the past few days, Jaffar had realized that his initial desire to protect Nino had gone beyond just protection and had extended itself to include a desire to see her happy as well. It was as though her emotions were contagious; he had felt miserable when she was saddened, felt warm inside when she was delighted. Now, as she smiled brightly, he felt exceptionally good—which brought back the original question of whether or not he loved her.

It was a never-ending cycle.

Jaffar knew that cycle might end, though, when he spoke with Legault. He had caught sight of the slippery thief early in the day, as the army was preparing to march. The thief wore a dark-blue shirt, pants, and cape, the attire any thief might wear to avoid detection while still being able to move easily. He also had a bandana of the same color tied over his long, light-purple hair. He seemed to grin constantly, and his blue eyes, over one of which two long scars traveled, always held a mischievous glint.

The problem was not Jaffar's ability to speak with the thief, but his ability to speak with Legault privately. He had a horror of Nino finding out about his conversation with the thief; like with his desire to ask someone about his feelings, he knew that his discussion of love would only make the young mage feel extremely awkward and embarrassed, and he didn't want that. But he couldn't risk talking to Legault while the army was marching, even if the young mage was not nearby—she had friends, and her friends might overhear and tell her what they heard. Above all, he wanted his conversation with Legault to remain a secret.

He again looked over at Nino. For once, the green-haired girl was not talking with anyone, though that fact did not seem to disappoint her in the least. Catching Jaffar's gaze, she smiled warmly up at the assassin, saying nothing, seemingly content with just his presence.

As warmth flooded him, Jaffar marveled at how just the sight of Nino's smile could trigger so many emotions within him, while at the same time raising so many confusing questions.

_Do you love her?_

-----

It was not until the army had finished marching for the day and the camp had been set up that Jaffar knew he would be able to speak with Legault privately. After they had set up their tent, Jaffar had informed Nino of Canas's offer to speak with her. She had been instantly delighted at such a prospect, and was about to rush off to the shaman's tent, when Jaffar had stopped her.

"Why are you speaking with him?" he had asked. Like what had happened the previous day, the notion that Nino desired to spend time with others hurt him. He had supposed earlier in the day that the girl deserved to have other friends—after all, he couldn't exactly provide her with any female companionship—and spending time with them was understandable. But why would she wish to see _Canas_, of all people?

She had answered with a smile. "He's teaching me how to read."

Her answer had certainly surprised the assassin. "You...don't know how?" he had asked, somewhat incredulous. Surely Sonia, although she despised the girl, would have taught Nino how to read at some point...

The young mage's gaze fell the tiniest bit. "Well...no, not really," she had answered slowly.

"Then how can you use magic so well?"

She had blushed a little then, obviously pleased at Jaffar's compliment of her skill. "Well..." she had answered, "I watched what my mo—Sonia did, and then I just copied her. I didn't really expect anything to happen, though. I was pretty surprised."

Jaffar knew little of the ways of magic, but he had never thought that someone who was unable to read would be able to unleash such power as Nino had with her Fimbulvetr spell.

For the first time in a long while, the Angel of Death had been impressed.

"Very well then."

Now, as he stood alone outside his tent, with only the moon's light and the campfire illuminating the army's camp, he decided that this was the best time to speak to Legault.

Noticing some silhouettes around the campfire, Jaffar began to walk towards the center of the camp, so that he might ask someone which tent Legault was staying in. He supposed he could have just asked Nino, since Canas and Legault were tent-mates, but no—Nino could not know of this conversation, he reminded himself.

The assassin neared the campfire, but then quite suddenly he noticed that two of the silhouettes around the campfire belonged to an embracing Eliwood and Ninian, and he quickly turned away. He didn't want to think about them...

But as he gazed about the camp, Jaffar noticed that there was nobody else outside their tents, and therefore nobody else he could ask about Legault's whereabouts.

So, clenching his jaw, he turned back to the campfire, to the love-struck pair. The two of them held each other gently, their heads close together...the sight of them sickening the assassin. Why did they know about love...

"Eliwood," Jaffar muttered forcefully as he approached the campfire, trying his best not to look at the two lovers.

Both Eliwood and Ninian raised their heads at Jaffar's voice, the latter of which seemingly saddened by the disruption of the peaceful moment. "Jaffar?" Eliwood asked in reply. "What is it?"

"I need to know where Legault is staying," he declared quickly, intent on getting this conversation over with as quickly as possible.

"Oh." The red-haired lord looked about the camp for a moment, before pointing at one of the tents. "I think he's in that tent," he replied.

"Thank you," Jaffar responded, and walked away without another word.

Why were they so _lucky?_

-----

Jaffar opened the front flap of the tent quickly, expecting to see Legault inside, but he was quickly disappointed. The only people in the tent were Canas and Nino, both of which were poring over a book laid on the ground as the former showed the latter the meaning of the letters on the pages.

The assassin was instantly filled with frustration. The thief had managed to evade him _again!_

"Where's Legault?" Jaffar demanded, causing both Canas and Nino to jump.

Noticing who it was, the green-haired girl giggled a little. "He just went looking for _you_," she informed the assassin, clearly amused by this development. "I bet he's in our tent right now."

"Yes, probably," Canas added, also slightly amused. "I told him you were looking for him, and he set off to find you at once."

The frustration left him quickly. Now, at least, he knew where the thief was. "All right," he replied.

He let the flap fall back into place, and turned around—only to find Legault's grinning face staring right back at him.

"Well, the Angel of Death," the thief said casually, as if Jaffar was just any other normal person. "I've not seen you in some time."

"Hurricane..." the Angel of Death replied, clenching his jaw in anger. It seemed to him as though Legault was enjoying the fact that Jaffar had had to chase after him.

"Canas informed me that you wished to speak with me," the purple-haired man said, inspecting his fingernails and seemingly not caring a whit about whom he was speaking with. "I can't fathom what for, though."

Jaffar let out a breath, recognizing the thief's usual relaxed tone of voice. He had heard that the Hurricane had always been a bit eccentric. "I need to speak with you privately," he declared flatly.

That apparently got the thief's attention, as he raised his head in surprise. "Oh?" he asked in response. "Very well then. Where do you propose we talk?"

Jaffar wordlessly started back towards the tent he shared with Nino. Legault followed just as silently.

-----

"The Black Fang's finished, isn't it," Legault said, serious for once, as he sat opposite Jaffar in the lantern-lit tent. "The commander's dead, the Four Fangs have disappeared." Then, quite suddenly, he fixed Jaffar with an intense gaze. "How does that make you _feel_, Angel of Death?" he asked.

Jaffar only stared back silently, wondering what the point of Legault's question was.

"Well, there's just no point in talking to you, is there?" Legault went on when he noticed the assassin's silence. "It's just like your friend Sonia said: you truly are soulless."

"She's not my _friend_," Jaffar declared vehemently. He _despised_ Sonia, and wanted nothing to do with her, even though she no longer lived.

"No, I suppose she wouldn't be," the thief responded, half to himself, his voice taking on his usual relaxed tone again. "After all, an assassin has no friends, only temporary acquaintances. Isn't that right?"

The assassin only stared back silently.

"I suppose this conversation is leading nowhere," Legault casually went on, inspecting his fingernails for the umpteenth time. "Very well. What did you wish to speak with me about?"

Jaffar got straight to the point. "What does love feel like?" he asked flatly.

_That_ certainly surprised the thief. He abruptly looked up at Jaffar, his eyes wide. "_Excuse_ me?!" he asked, clearly unable to believe what he had just heard.

"What does love feel like?" Jaffar repeated.

Legault's eyes widened even more, if that was possible. Then, quite suddenly, an amused grin appeared on his face, and he began to laugh. It was as though Jaffar's question was so incredible as to be amusing to him.

Jaffar took a deep breath, staying silent. What was so funny? This was a serious matter to him!

"Is this your idea of a joke, Angel of Death?" Legault asked after he had calmed down, still clearly incredulous. "I wasn't aware you had a sense of humor."

Jaffar only stared back silently, intently at the thief.

Legault's eyes widened again. "My, you're _serious_ about this, aren't you?" he asked. Then, unexpectedly, his expression became grim. "Put it out of your mind. There's no way someone like you would ever hope to understand."

"Why not?" Jaffar demanded heatedly. He wasn't about to be turned away from his answer. Not when he had been searching so intently!

Legault let out a snort of disbelief. "Why _not_? You're an assassin, Angel of Death! Love could never have any meaning to you."

"I am no longer an assassin," Jaffar declared vehemently. "I am no longer the Black Fang's killing engine."

"And I'm the queen of Bern," Legault countered sarcastically. "To you, the only thing about me that matters is whether you can kill me or not." When Jaffar tried to protest, the thief went on, "You know my strength. You know how I fight. But you don't know _me_, Angel of Death. What I like, what I dislike, the kind of life I've lived up to now...to you, to any assassin, it's just useless information. _That_ is why you can never hope to understand love. Honestly, I don't see why you wish to understand in the first place."

And with that, he got up, and walked toward the front of the tent.

"I told you, I am no longer an assassin," Jaffar tried to stop him, getting up angrily. "Why will you not just tell me?"

Legault turned his head, a solemn glint now in his eyes. "Do you know of the stories they used to tell about you?" he asked. "They say there were countless corpses stacked upon one another. And there, atop the bodies, they found a lone child sleeping. You." He turned back towards the front of the tent. "Angel of Death..." he said softly. "It is the perfect name for you. You are death incarnate. You feel nothing, fear nothing, desire nothing. You kill, and nothing more." He sighed, a hint of sadness unexplainably creeping into his voice as his head turned towards Jaffar again. "You say you have changed, but the ways of death will never leave you. Do you understand now? That is why love cannot have any meaning for you."

And he walked out of the tent without another word.

But Jaffar stood there silently, staring ahead angrily, refusing to believe what Legault had told him. He _had_ changed! Why would Legault not believe him? Why couldn't Legault just _tell_ him how love felt?

-----

Jaffar was still seething when Nino returned. He had refused to give up so easily; he would find a way to get Legault to tell him what he sought. Sooner or later, he would know. He didn't care what he had to do, as long as Legault would tell him...

But the sight of Nino struck a sudden fear into him. She stared at him, clearly concerned, and Jaffar wondered whether she could tell what he was thinking about. He had resolved to keep his conversation secret, but had Legault gone back to his tent only to tell Nino what they had spoken of?

"Jaffar?" she asked softly, slowly. "Is...is everything all right?"

Of course everything wasn't all right! But he couldn't tell her that. He closed his eyes, turning away from her. He couldn't tell her, _couldn't tell her..._

"Jaffar..." she whispered sadly.

He turned his head back towards hers at the sound of her voice, opening his eyes.

_Couldn't tell her..._

And then, quite suddenly, an overpowering emotion hit him. He was suddenly filled with the overwhelming desire to tell her _everything_. He wanted to tell her about his feelings, about his confusion, about everything she had done for him...more than _anything_, he wanted to hold her close, to let her warmth soothe him, just as it had so many times before...

And before he could restrain himself, before he could tell himself he couldn't, he had stepped forward and thrown his arms around her small figure.

She only gave a tiny squeak of surprise before she returned the embrace.

He said nothing, had reminded himself that he couldn't tell her about his conversation with Legault. He merely let her little body warm him, comfort him...

She somehow sensed his discontent, even though he did not voice or show it; she closed her eyes and whispered soothing words in his ear. It was all right, her voice told him. She didn't know what was the matter, but it would be all right, everything would be all right...

And then it was over. The embrace could not have lasted more than a few moments, but for Jaffar, it was as though all of his problems had been wiped away. His frustration with Legault was suddenly nonexistent. His confusion about love was still there, but for the moment it had diminished to almost nothing.

Nino's cheeks were red, but she was smiling, the happiest that Jaffar had ever seen her—that alone multiplied his delight tenfold. She looked up at Jaffar, seeming to understand everything, even though he had said nothing. And he, in turn, understood what her gaze meant, even though she had not spoken.

Wordlessly, with an almost delirium-inducing warmth coursing through him, he lay down on his bedroll, while Nino silently did the same, turning out the lantern.

His confusion about love, his issues with Legault...they could all wait until tomorrow, he thought. For now...he still might not be sure if he was feeling love, but he was quickly becoming more and more certain.

* * *

Wow. What a way to end the chapter! I myself am still not sure how I thought of that.  
So...what did you guys think? Is Legault in character? Did the scene at the end seem realistic? Please tell me! I really like the way I did this chapter, but I always want to improve :) 

Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT


	15. Hurt

This story is about to get a little more gruesome than I usually like...but it's necessary to the storyline. Read on...

_hyliansage_: Thanks for your review! Hey, whatever happened to _Wish_?

_gentleness28_: Thanks for taking my request! Hope it's finished soon :)

_Icy AngelWings_: Thanks for your review!

_Poyo_: Well, I could play Medic...but I'm quite good at that class as well :P

_Dreamer of Riddles_: I wasn't aware "dragonologist" was a word...

_FireEdge_: How did the hug seem weird? I can't improve if you don't tell me how to. :) Oh, and update _Stray Arrow_! :P

_Spectral Flame_: There will be no rivalry with Erk, mostly because at this point in my other stories, he's already been paired with Serra. :P

_MagicianFairy_: Jaffar won't have to do any sort of "odd stunt." He will do something though...perhaps without knowing it.

_Hamano Ayumi_: Thanks for your review!

_Inferno-Hero_: Thanks for your review!

_Jeanie_: How did the last scene seem out of place? It helps me a lot more if you tell me why...

_Dark_: Thanks for your review!

_Flaming Soul_: No, Legault wasn't much of a help...but that doesn't mean he can't give Jaffar any aid in the future... ;)

_Hinata2004_: Thanks for your review!

_Firelien_: Considering Legault has already seen Jaffar speak, I'm not sure if I'll be able to include the "warn me when you're about to talk" line. I'll try to get it in there, though :)

_Nocturna-Fire-Demoness_: That was support C...I think both B and A will be coming later.

_Ragnarok-legend_: Thanks for your review!

_Ryst_: I don't really think Jaffar is _jealous_ about Nino hanging around other people more than he is fearful. See, when someone's in love (and we all know by know that Jaffar is :P) but not sure if the other person loves him or her back, the person starts overanalyzing _everything_ the other person does. In this case, it's Nino's decision to spend time with other people that Jaffar is reacting to. (PS: preeeeeow :) )

_lzn64_: And he'll only get more obsessive as the story goes on...at least, that is until he learns Nino's feelings ;)

_Cuello_: Thanks for your review!

_Oswin the Nino Fan_: Ah, OK. Thanks for your review!

_The Blazing Blade_: Thanks for your review!

_Kakayo_: Uh, I think you spelled your name wrong...thanks for your review!

_Kratos Aurion_: Thanks for your review!

We now arrive at the (rather long)...

**Chapter Fifteen**  
**Hurt**

It was as though their embrace had occurred in some blissful dream. Jaffar barely remembered the embrace itself, but the emotions it had sparked within him consumed his thoughts. When the army was marching, when the young mage walked close beside him, he could think of her and only her. It was only when he was alone, when she was off with one of her female friends or studying with Canas, that he had any respite at all. But even then, he could think of nothing but his feelings.

He had briefly considered attempting to speak with Legault again, but he had quickly realized that his words were not enough to convince the thief that he was no longer the assassin he had once been. He knew that he had to find some way to show he had changed, but he could not think of anything he could do.

Nino herself had changed somewhat after that night as well. Her bright disposition seemed to fade a little when she was near the assassin, to be replaced with something else. When she caught Jaffar's gaze as the army marched onwards, as she so often did, the silent smile she always gave him was no longer the sunny, almost childlike expression of delight that had once been normal for her. Instead, it was a softer, more serene smile, and no matter how hard she tried to hide it, her cheeks always managed to turn some shade of pink when she gazed at Jaffar.

Jaffar noticed the change in her demeanor, but it mattered little to him—so long as the girl was happy, he didn't care how she expressed it. Her smile filled him with warmth no matter what form it came in.

The battalion's journey to the Shrine of Seals would take another five days, but for the assassin it passed in a blur, especially the daytime when the army was marching. The nights spent in his tent, when Nino was there, were more memorable to him. After only her second meeting with Canas, the young mage had asked Jaffar if he wished to see the progress she had made in her reading. She would ask him every night, and he was only too happy to oblige. It was clear she learned extremely quickly. She would read out of one of her magic tomes, speaking slowly, occasionally faltering, but still deriving the greatest pleasure from her ability to understand the words on the page.

From time to time, more so in her earlier attempts, Nino would have to ask him if she had read a word correctly or how an unusually complicated word was pronounced. Those were the moments Jaffar liked best; the delight she expressed when he helped her was unparalleled by any other time. Even when Jaffar went to sleep, she continued reading with zeal by the light of the lantern, and in the morning he would always find an open book adorning her sleeping form.

But eventually, as part of the army, the two of them would have to take part in a battle. They had barely been members of the battalion for a week before that battle came.

-----

"Okay, people," Mark began laying out his plan as the army gathered before him, ready to fight. The Shrine of Seals was visible in the northwest from where they stood, its massive silhouette standing out clearly against the mostly flat landscape surrounding it. The plains on which the army had marched had given way to a more hilly area which several rivers cut across, and the large enemy force which the army now stood against had obviously taken the terrain into account, placing soldiers strategically at choke points between the hills.

The tactician, however, exuded an aura of confidence as he described the battle plan. "We will be making a three-pronged attack on the Shrine," he explained. The piece of land on which the army stood was connected to the area in front of the shrine by three bridges in different directions, and the army would split into three groups to advance over each bridge.

Mark began calling out names, directing each soldier to the path he or she would be following on the way to the Shrine. Jaffar and Nino, along with Rebecca, Legault, and a few other soldiers Jaffar didn't know, would be taking a western route before swinging northward to lay an attack on the Shrine of Seals itself.

"The enemy commander is the White Wolf, Lloyd," Mark went on, and Jaffar heard Nino give an involuntary gasp beside him as the words reached her ears. "He is one of the most proficient swordmasters on the continent, so I do not want _anyone_ confronting him alone. It may take three or four people attacking him at once to bring him down. Be extremely careful once you approach the Shrine."

"L-Lloyd's here?" Nino stammered as the army began separating into the designated groups. As Jaffar turned to her, she looked up at the assassin with a panicked look in her eyes. "W-we have to talk to him, Jaffar! If he knows I'm here...he'll change his mind about fighting, I know it!"

Jaffar looked up, gazing into the distance where the enemy forces were visible. "We will have to reach him first, though," he stated flatly.

Nino hung her head at his reply, her cheeks inexplicably burning red with embarrassment. Then, after a few moments, she looked back up at the assassin, her eyes filled with a sudden fear. "J-Jaffar?"

"What is it?" he asked in response. He hated seeing her unhappy.

She looked away. "C-could you please stay near me?" she asked, as though she dreaded the possibility of him leaving her side even for an instant. "I-I'm not very strong, a-and..." Leaving the sentence unfinished, she looked back up at Jaffar, her eyes pleading with his to accept her request.

"Of course," he replied. He would have done so even if she had not asked.

-----

The battle progressed smoothly, with most of the other soldiers in Jaffar and Nino's group doing most of the fighting at the front. Nino, frightened by the fighting, stayed near the middle of the group as it advanced, and Jaffar stood by her side. When the assassin did fight, his incredible speed and agility made him almost impossible to hit, and he quickly dispatched his opponents. And if it ever seemed as though Jaffar might be in the tiniest bit of trouble, Nino would swiftly call down a lightning bolt with her magic and strike his enemy dead. Nevertheless, she only attacked another as a last resort, preferring to stay a good distance away from the hand-to-hand combat going on around her.

Yet even staying at the center of the group could not protect her from everything.

They were almost directly south of the Shrine when it happened; the group was advancing through an area full of large trees. The soldiers in the group believed that they had cleared the small forest of any hostile presences, but that was not the case.

They were pressing forward, intent on reaching the Shrine quickly, and none had noticed the lone archer hiding in the trees on the group's side. By the time Jaffar's precise hearing had picked up the _twang_ of the bowstring let loose, it was too late. He whirled towards the source of the sound...

And then it seemed as though time had slowed to an agonizing pace.

It was clear that the arrow had been intended for Jaffar, since he was most likely the most dangerous-looking soldier in the group. But the archer's aim was just slightly off, and the arrow sailed past the assassin, missing his chest by only inches.

He could _see_ the arrow as it flew slowly, so slowly...and then he saw that it was heading directly for Nino, who had yet to notice anything.

Jaffar leapt forward, intent on taking the arrow for the girl, but it was clear as he sailed forward that he would not make it in time...

And he could only watch as the arrow lodged itself in Nino's left shoulder.

The force of the arrow's impact knocked Nino to her side as time's flow returned to its normal rate. She tripped, landing in a sitting position as she flung out the arm that had not been hit to steady herself.

The shock of the blow had not given way to the pain yet, and Nino looked to her side, still unsure as to what had caused such an impact.

Then she saw the arrow.

Her eyes widened to an impossibly huge size, and her mouth opened silently. She tried to draw breath, but the only result was a ragged, shuddering gasp.

And then she screamed.

All eyes in the group were instantly on her—except for Jaffar's. Instead, clenching his jaw murderously, he scanned the trees from whence the arrow had come, and he quickly sighted the archer that the group had not.

The rage filled him, consuming him completely, and the only thing he could see was the hardened face of the archer—of the one who had hurt Nino.

He leapt towards the trees where the archer was hiding, putting on a burst of speed that was unmatched by anything he had ever done before in his life. The archer tried to retaliate, tried to draw another arrow, but Jaffar was there before it had even left the archer's quiver.

Screaming with a rage such as he had never felt before, he plunged one of his daggers into the archer's chest with an extraordinary force, killing him instantly.

The force of the blow sent blood flying in all directions, some staining the assassin's clothing, but Jaffar did not care. The archer deserved a death such as this. He had hurt Nino. That was all that mattered.

He had half a mind to stab the archer again, to let out more of his fury, when suddenly he heard Nino cry out in pain.

_Nino!_ Jaffar felt as though his insides had turned to ice. He had broken his promise to her..._he had left her side!_

Breathing heavily, he turned and dashed back to where Nino lay. She was wailing at the top of her lungs, tears of pain streaming down her face without end. Rebecca knelt over her, trying to soothe her, and Legault stood off to her side, appearing uninterested but paying attention nonetheless to what was going on. The other soldiers in the group were getting ready to move on—they did not mind an incident like this very much, because such an injury was common in any army. The medic of the group would be along soon and the event would be forgotten.

But Jaffar would not forget what had happened here, not for a long time. Uncaring of anything but Nino herself, he shoved Rebecca to the side as he approached the young mage, knocking the sniper to the ground. Rebecca might have protested had she not seen the intense worry in the assassin's eyes, an emotion that had never before been present. Instead, she simply got up and knelt again by Nino's form.

Fear had taken control of every fiber of Jaffar's being, and panicking, he hurriedly glanced over Nino's injury, attempting to determine how serious it was. A circle of blood had formed around where Nino's skin had been pierced, but the injury was not anywhere near fatal. Nothing vital had been damaged, and the wound could be healed almost instantly with white magic.

But Jaffar's worry consumed him nonetheless, and he had to keep repeating to himself that the wound was not fatal to keep from driving himself to madness.

"You need to get her to a healer," Rebecca advised him quickly.

"I know that!" Jaffar snapped, surprising the sniper with his passion. Nino's cries had quieted down to softer sobs, but she was still clearly in a great deal of pain. Slowly, the assassin knelt down, and with infinite care not to touch her injured arm, he picked the girl up, holding her with both arms as though she were a baby. She looked up at Jaffar's face with desperation in her blurred eyes.

_Help me, please...I don't want to die!_ her eyes silently screamed. She didn't speak, only whimpered painfully, but Jaffar understood her gaze nonetheless. Nino, like himself, was clearly mortally terrified, afraid she might die even though the wound was not serious enough to kill her. He needed to get her to a healer as soon as possible, for her health as well as for both of their sanities. Either of them might go mad with worry if the young mage was left in this state much longer.

"Where's the healer?" Jaffar demanded heatedly.

"She should be coming soon," Rebecca replied worriedly, clearly also afraid for the young mage's well-being, though not on the scale of Jaffar or Nino themselves. The healers always stayed behind, so a delay such as this was not unexpected. The path needed to be cleared before a healer could advance, so that there was no risk of the healer getting hurt.

Jaffar could see the auburn-haired healer in the distance coming from where the group had come before, mounted on a white horse. A wyvern rider circled above her, acting as her bodyguard. It could not have taken her more than a minute to ride over to where Jaffar stood, but the wait was agonizingly long for the assassin. The longer that Nino stayed injured, the more worried he became that something worse might happen to her...

He closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, tried to calm himself. _Her wound is not fatal_, he reminded himself for what seemed to be the millionth time. _Her wound is not fatal, she will be fine..._

The healer dismounted her horse as she approached, pulling out her healing staff without even asking what had happened.

"Oh, my," she said gently upon seeing the arrow lodged in Nino's shoulder. She looked up at Jaffar. "Ah...you need to put her down," she said softly, clearly afraid of the assassin's appearance.

He let her down slowly, though he was afraid to let her go, afraid that she might be hurt more without his arms protecting him. He reminded himself that this was only to allow her to be healed, that she would be fine in a few moments...

Nino's cries of pain had now become mere whimpers, though her tears continued to stream forth. The healer, who was a few inches taller than the young mage, brought her face level to the green-haired girl's, her eyes full of compassion. "I'm going to have to pull out the arrow," she said softly, soothingly, with the practice of innumerable other injuries behind her. "It will hurt, but I can only heal your wound when it is removed. Okay?"

Nino's gaze was on the ground, and it almost seemed as though she had not heard a word the healer had said, but she nodded slowly, closing her eyes and steeling herself for the pain about to come.

The auburn-haired girl placed herself at Nino's left side, putting one hand around where the young mage's skin had been pierced and the other around the arrow. "I'm just going to pull it out in one quick tug; it will hurt less that way. Ready?"

Nino gave the tiniest of nods.

And the healer pulled on the arrow with all her might, pushing against Nino's arm with her other hand and moving the arrow a few inches. But the arrow remained lodged where it was, and Nino gave a sharp cry of pain.

"Stop it!" Jaffar demanded furiously as soon as he had heard Nino cry out. "You're hurting her!"

The healer shrank back a little under Jaffar's intense gaze. "I-I'm sorry," she stammered. "But I-I need to pull it out, or I can't heal her."

Without any more hesitation, before Jaffar could protest further, she gave the arrow another forceful tug, this time pulling it out completely, but not before eliciting another wail from Nino. But in one fluid motion, the healer raised her staff, a bright glow emanating from the sapphire at the tip. Nino's skin took on the same glow, miraculously mending itself before Jaffar's eyes. When the light died down, it was as though Nino had never been injured.

Her tears stopped abruptly, the cause of their flow having disappeared in an instant. She looked down at her arm, gaping at how quickly her wound had vanished.

"Are you all right?" Jaffar asked heatedly. He could not be sure she was okay until she said so herself...

The young mage turned to Jaffar, her expression unreadable, then nodded slowly. "Y-yes, I'm fine..." she remarked softly. "Thank you, Priscilla," she went on, turning to the healer.

The healer known as Priscilla smiled a little. "Anytime, Nino." Then she mounted her horse, riding off to the next soldier in need, the wyvern rider following her overhead.

"Come on, Nino," Rebecca said after the auburn-haired girl had left, gesturing towards the rest of the group. "We need to hurry up." She then ran off to join the other soldiers.

That left Jaffar and Nino standing there alone. The young mage smiled shyly up at the assassin, her cheeks taking on a pinkish tint as they lately seemed to do quite a bit when she was around Jaffar.

Her smile sent all of Jaffar's worries flying away.

"Thank you for helping me out, Jaffar," she said softly.

He could not think of anything to say in response, his relief flooding his insides and overwhelming his senses. She was all right...

Nino's expression, however, slowly became grim as she remembered what she needed to do. "Come on," she commanded gently. "We need to speak with Lloyd, quickly."

-----

But it seemed as though Nino might not get her chance to speak with her stepbrother. The two other groups of the army had already converged upon the Shrine of Seals by the time the third group had arrived.

Nino's face filled with worry as she saw the other soldiers of the army already present, a select few of them even running up the steps to the Shrine as she looked on. "Come on, Jaffar!" she shouted worriedly, quickening her pace into a sprint.

He started sprinting as well, easily outrunning the young mage with his speed. Neither of them paid any attention to the soldiers surrounding the shrine, or to Mark as he screamed at the two of them to stay away from the fight going on inside.

When Jaffar reached the top of the stairs, what he saw was truly a sight to behold. Lloyd was engaged in battle with not one but _three_ soldiers at once, but the swordmaster did not seem to have suffered even a scratch.

The assassin watched silently as a red-haired mercenary brought up his sword before swinging it downwards, where it met Lloyd's rune-encrusted blade. At the same time, a green-haired swordfighter stabbed at Lloyd's chest, but the White Wolf deftly evaded the blow, while still keeping his blade pressed against the red-haired mercenary's. The third soldier, an imposing, blond-haired warrior, raised a gigantic axe behind the swordmaster, and it was clear that Lloyd would not be able to evade the strike while parrying the other two fighters.

But the swordmaster pushed the red-haired mercenary backwards with his blade. Without even glancing at the berserker behind him, his face devoid of emotion, he raised his sword, the runes covering the blade glowing briefly before sending a blast of light magic at the warrior, knocking him back.

The assassin heard Nino run up beside him, heard her gasp as she saw her beloved stepbrother faced with what seemed to be impossible odds.

"Lloyd!" she cried.

And at that moment, Lloyd's emotionless mask broke for a split-second, the surprise at his stepsister's presence overtaking his senses. His eyes widened suddenly, and his head turned towards the young mage...

"Nino?!" he exclaimed.

But their reunion was not to be. Taking advantage of the split-second distraction, the red-haired mercenary stabbed his sword forward. Lloyd's momentary lack of attention was all that the mercenary needed to give the swordmaster a fatal blow, stabbing straight through the famed White Wolf's chest before pulling the blade out with a smug grin.

"_Lloyd!_" Nino screamed.

She ran up to the swordmaster, Jaffar following close behind her, as Lloyd fell to his knees and then onto his side, rolling onto his back. The young mage quickly knelt beside her stepbrother, tears rapidly forming in her eyes, continually muttering, "No, no, no..."

The swordmaster's life had not yet left his body, and weakly, he turned his head, gazing up at the young mage. "Nino..." he choked out. "Why...did you come here?"

"I came to stop you from fighting!" she cried as Jaffar knelt down beside her. "Why did you have to fight these people?!" she demanded. "They were trying to help _everyone_!"

"It's...not about what they were...trying to do..." Lloyd breathed. "Don't...blame yourself. You couldn't have stopped me..."

"What?!" Nino exclaimed. "W-what do you mean, Lloyd?" she demanded, a few tears spilling forth from her eyes.

But Lloyd did not reply; instead, his gaze moved to Jaffar, and a strange, weak smile graced his lips. "So...Angel of Death..." he whispered. "You're...the last...of the Four Fangs now..."

Nino guessed the meaning of his words even before Jaffar himself did, more tears streaking down her face. "L-Linus?!" she cried. "W-what—did he—"

"I'm...sorry, Nino..." Lloyd went on, paying the young mage's words no heed.

"_NO!_" Nino screamed. "Don't talk like that, Lloyd! We'll get a healer in here; you'll be f-fine...e-everything will..."

But Lloyd was too far gone. His eyes glazing over, his gaze suddenly turned to the ceiling, staring up at the face that those around him could not see. "Hold on, Brother..." he whispered faintly. "I'm... coming..."

And then his head slumped over lifelessly.

"No..." Nino whimpered. "No..."

Almost automatically, without even having to think about it, Jaffar placed his arms around the young mage's small frame, holding her close, just as he had after that battle with Sonia. It seemed to have been so long since then...

Nino accepted the embrace, crying softly into the assassin's shoulder, clutching her only remaining link to what had once been her "family".

He heard someone clear his throat behind him, saw a hand that was not his own rest on Nino's shoulder. He looked up to see that the hand belonged to the red-haired mercenary, whose expression had changed drastically into a gesture of sympathy.

Nino brought her head up from the assassin's shoulder, gazing up at the mercenary with grief-filled eyes. But as she noticed who she was looking at, her expression suddenly changed, rage slowly covering her features as she recognized Lloyd's killer.

"I'm...I'm sorry," the mercenary said awkwardly. "I didn't...I didn't know he was—"

"Y-you killed him," Nino cut the mercenary off with a whisper. Then, quite suddenly, the rage vanished from her face, and her gaze dropped blankly to the floor before she buried her face in Jaffar's chest once again. "Y-you k-killed him..." she sobbed, sounding utterly helpless.

The mercenary let out a deep breath as his eyes turned mournfully to the floor, before he turned and gestured to the two other fighters, who were sadly, silently watching the scene unfold before them. "Come on," he said softly. "We should...give them time alone."

And the three soldiers left silently.

Jaffar pulled the girl closer, allowing her to let out her tears as much as she wished. She had lost so much in such a short span of time, he thought. He was all that she had left to hold on to...

The only sounds that could be heard in the shrine were Nino's quiet sobs, echoing faintly off the walls.

* * *

I really, really cannot write death scenes. I think it showed here...  
But...what did you guys think? Was everything realistic? Is everyone still in character? I need to know these things, guys! :) 

Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT


	16. Special

All right, I'm not sure how many of you noticed, since I did it rather quickly, but I edited the end of the previous chapter about a day after I posted it. At first, I portrayed all three of the fighters there as simply uncaring of the events following their battle, but a comment from one of my reviewers changed my mind. The current version is the one containing Raven's apology, which many of you have already read.  
Said reviewer also repeatedly apologized for sounding so critical, but this is something that _everyone_ should pay attention to: when it comes to a site such as this, there is no such thing as being too critical! If you see something wrong with my story, please draw my attention to it, and don't be afraid that you might sound too harsh or something like that. I can't improve if you all are too afraid to tell me what I'm doing incorrectly.  
Now that that's out of the way...

_littlefreeze_: Actually, the archer _did_ see Jaffar coming, but he didn't have much time to react :P

_Flaming Soul_: This chapter should satisfy your desire for more fluff :)

_Spectral Flame_: The blond haired axe user is Hawkeye. And yes, I know there were a lot of typos, but that was only because QuickEdit decided to go psycho on me when I first loaded it. Those typos were fixed in my edit of the chapter.

_Lemurian 04_: Thanks for your review!

_Dreamer of Riddles_: Why do you think Rebecca is too serious? Don't you think she would be serious if one of her best friends was injured?

_Ragnarok-legend_: You can look up at the top of the page for my response to your review :)

_Hamano Ayumi_: The last warrior that fought Lloyd was Hawkeye. Bartre doesn't have blond hair! :P

_MagicianFairy_: Thanks for your review!

_Icy AngelWings_: Thanks for your review!

_FireEdge_: I never really thought of Nino as a very strong-willed person when it came to fighting alongside the rest of Eliwood's army. I mean, she's a fourteen-year-old girl! She's going to be afraid. I don't see how anyone could really think of her as strong :P

_Nocturna-Fire-Demoness_: Thanks for your review!

_Poyo_: I can play whatever class I want to play as ;P

_Hinata2004_: As I told FireEdge, Nino is a fourteen-year-old girl, so she's going to be very afraid when she takes part in a battle like this. The arrow also caused her a lot of pain, and I think that any girl her age would be screaming if she was hurt like that.

_Oswin the Nino Fan_: As Raven says himself in his A support with Rebecca: "I'm human. I smile, I cry." Just because he puts on a harsh expression most of the time doesn't mean he has no compassion. He can care for others; his supports with Rebecca and Priscilla are proof enough of that.

_Inferno-Hero_: The green-haired swordfighter was Guy. Who else would it be? :P

_Dark_: Jaffar will be speaking with Matthew and Legault at least one more time before the story is over. We're coming up to the end here...

_The Blazing Blade_: Thanks for your review!

_Ryst_: Hey, Jaffar was _going_ to stab the archer again, remember? It's another effect of his love :P

_Kakayo_: --points upward at response to Oswin the Nino Fan-- Raven can be awkward if I want him to be. :P

_Firelien_: Harken?! Harken sucks. The third fighter was Hawkeye. _Obviously_. :P

_Sword of Seals_: Um...how was Lloyd rejecting to Nino? In the game, he was...but he wasn't dying when Nino talked to him in the game. This is a different situation.

_Jeanie_: This wasn't my first death scene, remember? I also wrote Ninian's death in one of my earlier stories. But still, thanks for your review!

_K-Girl_: Thanks for your review!

_gentleness28_: Well, you got Raven right...but Harken and _Sain_?! The other two were Guy and Hawkeye. Come _on_. :P Oh, and I really don't care how long it takes you to finish your picture, as long as I get to see it in the end :)

_ShadowedTactician_: Thanks for your review! But the blond-haired axeman is Hawkeye, not Bartre. :P

_MouZ_: The axe-user is Hawkeye. I know that "warrior" is a class name, but I used it in the general sense of the word, not referring to the Fire Emblem class.

_Sokuma_: Thanks for your review!

We now have the return of the fluff (sort of), here in...

**Chapter Sixteen**  
**Special**

Jaffar wasn't sure how long they were there in each other's arms, how long Nino was sobbing into his shoulder. If Nino hadn't been so despondent, Jaffar would have reveled in the moment, would have exceptionally liked simply being able to hold the girl. But Nino's sorrow, just as it had so many times in the past, had spread into the assassin.

The times prior to this that they had been in this position, his arms had soothed her, had let her know that everything was going to be all right. But the loss of her stepbrother seemed to have been a devastating blow to the young mage. She seemed utterly inconsolable as she cried, softly asking the air why such misfortune had to befall her in the most pitiful, heartrending voice that Jaffar had ever heard from her.

Jaffar silently wondered the same thing himself. He had deserted the Black Fang, had thrown away his job as an assassin just so he could protect Nino, so that misfortunes like the one she was experiencing now would never happen to her again. Yet despite his best efforts, he had failed to do that.

He was suddenly hit with a sense of inadequacy the likes of which he had never felt before. The events of only the past few hours rushed back into his mind like a brick wall. He had failed to protect Nino from the archer, had failed to stay by her side when he had promised to...and now, he was failing to comfort her. He had thrown away everything he had for this girl, and still he had been unable to help her when she needed it most.

He was astonished that Nino had yet to push him away. Even after all she had been through, even after all the times that he had failed her, she still cared for the assassin, and he knew she did. Her delight from being with him had never wavered. Even now, she accepted what little comfort he could give her, even if he could not console her completely. She clutched him desperately, and Jaffar knew that she had no intention of letting go. She _wanted_ him to be there with her. She should have pushed him away by now, should have left him. Her other friends could provide her more comfort than he could, understood emotions better than he did, yet she continued to stay by his side, continued to delight in his presence.

He should have lost his opportunity to help her by now. But as Nino continued to sob into his shoulder without end, he knew that she was giving him another chance to do just that. And he wasn't about to let it go.

He drew her closer, wrapping his arms around her like a shield against anything that wanted to hurt her. He knew there was nothing he could say to make her feel better, but a shoulder to cry on was the next best thing. And that was something he could give her.

-----

They had to have been there for a quarter of an hour at the very least, but they might have remained for hours on end had Eliwood, Lyn, and Hector not entered the shrine. The three lords had not come to help Nino, since Jaffar noticed they were surprised when they saw the scene before them, but the assassin worried nonetheless that Lyn was once again going to do what she had done in the Water Temple less than a week beforehand.

Surely enough, Lyn's expression became one of sympathy when she noticed that Nino was crying. Just like she had in the Water Temple, she began moving towards the girl, intent on soothing her. Jaffar silently told her with his expression that he didn't want her help, and Lyn noticed, but this time she did not stop walking.

The plainswoman knelt down beside the two of them, and Jaffar felt like he was being violated somehow. Glaring at Lyn hatefully, he pulled the girl away from her with an almost violent motion. She was not going to repeat what she had done after Sonia's death.

Nino went on crying quietly despite the abrupt movement.

Unfortunately, however, Lyn was not deterred. Her expression mournful, she softly called, "Nino..."

The girl recognized the plainswoman's voice, but she did not even look up. "Go away," she sobbed.

Lyn was visibly taken aback by the young mage's rejection, but she quickly composed herself. "Nino, I just want to help..."

"Go away," Nino repeated, her face still buried in Jaffar's shoulder.

Jaffar was not sure why Nino would reject Lyn's aid, but it filled him with a sense of triumph to know that the young mage desired his consolation over the plainswoman's, especially after wondering only minutes before whether he was worthy of helping her at all. Nino's sobs began to quiet somewhat as well after she spoke, further strengthening the assassin's resolve to comfort her. Maybe he really could help her...

Lyn stared at the two of them for another moment before sighing sadly. "I'm...I'm sorry, but...you're going to have to head back to camp," she said softly, awkwardly. "There is...something that the three of us must do here...alone." She gestured at Eliwood and Hector.

Nino lifted her head slowly then, but due to the fact that her head had been on his shoulder, Jaffar couldn't properly see her expression. He could hear her take a few deep, shuddering breaths, and then all was still. Almost lethargically, she rose, disengaging her arms from around Jaffar as she did so. He stood up as well, and was finally able to see her face.

She looked absolutely terrible, and consequently Jaffar felt the same in the pit of his stomach. Her face was red, streaks of tears crossing all over it, and her darkened baby-blue eyes held more, unshed. She was holding them back for the moment, but Jaffar knew they would start flowing again freely if given just the slightest provocation. She was staring into space, looking out the doorway of the shrine at nothing, her mouth a thin line restraining the sobs threatening to burst forth.

"Are you...feeling...any better?" Jaffar asked slowly, haltingly, afraid that he might incite more sorrow in the girl, but still needing to know how she was feeling.

Nino shook her head without looking at him. Her hair was a disheveled mess, but sensing this, she quickly ran her hands through it a few times, smoothing it into something at least somewhat presentable. Then, tentatively, she looked up at the assassin. There was a question in her sparkling eyes, and Jaffar could see that she wanted to ask it, but she could not speak for fear of causing more tears to spill forth. Instead, her gaze dropped to the floor for a moment before rising again to his eyes. Then, slowly, she draped one arm over his shoulder, holding on to Jaffar as though she needed him to physically support herself.

Not minding her gesture one bit, he just as slowly placed his arm around her waist, pushing her forward as gently as he could, willing her to walk, slow though she was.

"W-we...should g-go b-back...t-to the tent..." she whispered, her eyes still downcast, and Jaffar was certain that he was the only one who could hear her, so soft was her voice. "I-I d-don't want...t-to talk...w-with Rebe—Rebecca...o-or anyone."

"...If that's what you want," Jaffar said softly in reply.

And with Nino still holding the assassin for support, the two of them slowly, quietly left the shrine.

-----

The sun shone brightly in the afternoon sky as they went out into the open air; the warm air made the day absolutely wonderful. And Jaffar hated it.

It was the sort of day, he thought, that Nino would especially like. She would be chatting with her friends, or perhaps studying her reading outside, a bright smile on her face. But now, she couldn't take advantage of the sunny day that went so well with her normally sunny personality. Her sorrow had robbed him of the bubbly girl he knew so well, replacing her with one that was almost silent. He couldn't bear it.

The one thing he did take comfort in was that he was able to help her. He didn't care what he had to do, but he would do anything if it would bring back the cheery Nino, the one who filled him with that unexplainable warmth and emotion. Helping her to their tent was part of that, he thought as they slowly stepped down the stairs coming from the shrine. If he could get to their tent, then he could help her further. And that was all that mattered to him.

Everything around him seemed to mock Nino's lack of cheerful energy. The camp, which had been set up again on the flat grass near the Shrine of Seals, was in an upbeat mood after their victory—Jaffar could sense that before he even set foot within fifty feet of the place. He could hear a flute song coming from somewhere in the campsite, and a bit of cheering as the song ended. But the only thing he could think about was the fact that Nino could not take part in any of the cheerfulness going on around them.

It was amazing, he thought, how special Nino seemed to him now that she had temporarily disappeared. The girl beside him looked like Nino, but she was not the Nino he knew and cherished. The real Nino would return; he knew she would. But until that happened, he was left to think, alone, about just how much he missed her.

With the girl still holding onto the assassin, the two of them approached the camp. But there was a problem: the camp had been set up while they were absent, so they did not know which tent was theirs. Yet Jaffar did not want to enter the camp to ask anyone where they would be staying. Nino had explicitly said that she did not want to speak with anyone about what had happened, and the assassin was intent on fulfilling her request, knowing that she would receive all sorts of attention if any of the girls in the camp found out she was crying.

He looked down at the young mage beside him, his arm still around her waist, not as a gesture of affection but rather as a means of support. Her downcast face and tear-filled eyes sent another pang of misery through Jaffar's heart. He dearly hoped the old Nino would return soon...

He noticed the large wagon of the merchant Lyn had called Merlinus, the one who managed the camp and the army's supplies. Perhaps he could ask the merchant in which tent he and Nino would be staying. As the one who managed the campsite, he would be the most likely to know, and he would not attempt to speak with Nino either.

The wagon was placed in the ring of the camp just as though it was another tent, so Jaffar and Nino entered the campsite through the space between the merchant's wagon and the tent beside it. As they did so, Jaffar heard the flute song start up again in the center of the camp. He frowned. Nino should have been enjoying herself with the rest of her friends...

Several soldiers were milling about the center of the camp, but Jaffar paid them no mind. The merchant Merlinus sat on the driver's seat of the wagon, a blue-haired, mustached man of about thirty-five. He was leaning back, his eyes closed, and it looked as though he might be asleep, but Jaffar could see that the merchant was only dozing lightly, not really sleeping. The assassin could also see into the merchant's wagon, where racks of weapons, a few neatly stored spare tents, and several boxes of rations all lay under a hood of white cloth.

"Merlinus," Jaffar called curtly, not caring that he was waking the merchant.

Merlinus's head jerked up suddenly, his eyes snapping open as he frantically searched for the source of the voice as though it might be some sort of threat. Then, noticing Jaffar and Nino, his hand went to his heart in relief. "Oh, don't frighten me like that!" he cried out. Then, calming himself, he went on slowly, "Er...do you need anything?"

"We were not here when the camp was prepared," Jaffar said tersely, indicating the depressed girl beside him. "We need to know which tent is ours."

The merchant studied them. "You are...Jaffar and Nino, correct?" he said after a few moments. After receiving a nod from the assassin, he turned to the circle of tents, trying to remember which one belonged to them. "Well, let's see..." he murmured. "Heath and Priscilla are there, so...ah, that one's yours." He pointed at the tent directly opposite the wagon in the circular campsite.

"Thank you," Jaffar responded. He was about to turn to leave, but he noticed that Merlinus's gaze was fixed upon Nino. The merchant stared at the young mage for a few moments, but she was still looking at the ground and did not notice his gaze.

Jaffar was afraid that the blue-haired man might ask Nino what was the matter, but instead his head rose and his gaze turned to the assassin, a concerned expression on his face. "Is she...all right?" he asked softly, not wanting to offend the girl.

"She will be fine," Jaffar replied flatly, hoping to end the conversation as quickly as possible.

Merlinus's expression clearly showed that he did not believe the assassin. Nevertheless, he replied, "Well...all right then. Good day to you."

Jaffar nodded politely in response before turning to the center of the camp and walking away from the wagon. Nino's arm was still draped over his shoulder, as though she needed another body to direct her walking. The arm that Jaffar had placed around the young mage's waist moved over her shoulder instead, gently bending her neck forward so that her face would not be visible as they walked through the campsite. She did not protest.

The assassin looked about frantically as they slowly went through the camp, making sure to avoid any of Nino's friends that he saw. Most of the girls in the camp, at least the ones that he could see, were engaged in their own conversations, but Jaffar worried nonetheless that one of them might look over and see Nino. He especially kept his eye on Rebecca, who was standing at the edge of the camp, near the tents, speaking with a young brown-haired man that Jaffar could only assume was the one she had called Wil.

The flute song was still going, and Jaffar could see its source now: a pale-green-haired boy who could not have been more than ten or eleven years old, playing a small flute at the center of the camp and surrounded by several soldiers. The assassin had no idea why such a young boy would accompany the army, but the more pressing matter was getting Nino to their tent without grabbing attention. He was lucky; the small crowd of people surrounding the young bard seemed to be interested in the song and not much else.

But it was just at that moment that disaster decided to strike.

"Nino!"

_No!_ It was Rebecca's voice; she was running over to the young mage cheerfully. Jaffar's arm dropped uselessly to his side, his hope of getting Nino undetected to the tent vanishing in an instant. He couldn't run the young mage to their tent, because Rebecca would follow and that would garner even more attention. It would be better to just let the huntress end her conversation with Nino as quickly as possible, to just get it over with.

"Nino, where have you been?" the sniper asked with a bright smile on her face as she approached the girl. "I've been looking all over for you!"

The young mage was silent, her eyes still steadily pointing at the ground.

"Nino?" Rebecca asked, sounding worried. Then came the moment Jaffar had been dreading—the sniper's eyes widened in shock, and she shouted, "Nino, you're crying!"

Her voice was not actually very loud, but to Jaffar it was as though the entire camp's attention had been directed straight to Nino with that shout. He cursed himself—how could he have let his attention slip from Rebecca, the girl who was the one most likely to talk with Nino?

"W-what happened?" the sniper went on, her tone of voice indicating that she thought something horrendous had occurred.

"I...d-don't want to talk about it," Nino mumbled, a few of the tears that she had been struggling so hard to keep at bay leaking forth.

"Nino!" Priscilla's worried voice came now; she had been part of the small crowd surrounding the bard. She stepped towards the young mage, who now looked as though she wanted to sink into the ground. "Oh Saint Elimine, are you all right?"

"I-I said I-I d-don't w-want to talk about it," Nino replied, her voice louder, angrier this time. More tears began to stream down her face.

"Nino..." Rebecca began soothingly, "please, it's all right—"

"I-it's _not_ all right!" Nino suddenly screamed, wrenching her arm away from Jaffar's shoulder where it had rested. "Go _**away!**_" A few sobs emanated from her as she angrily began to storm off to the tent she shared with Jaffar, intent on getting away from her friends as quickly as possible.

But Jaffar could only watch hopelessly as the two other girls persisted, following the young mage as she stomped towards the edge of the camp.

"Nino—" Priscilla tried to speak, but she did not even have time to get past her name before Nino screamed again.

"Leave me **_ALONE!_**" That got the attention of everyone in the camp. And at that, Nino broke into a sprint, sobbing even harder. Priscilla and Rebecca froze, astounded by the young mage's outburst. Nino took advantage of their hesitation, ducking into her tent and disappearing from sight.

Letting out a miserable sigh, Jaffar slowly followed her. This had gone worse than he could have ever imagined...

But as he passed the two stunned girls, Rebecca spoke up. "Jaffar, what do you think you're doing?" she asked angrily, and he turned to her. "She said she wanted to be alone. You shouldn't bother her."

The assassin turned and resumed walking towards the tent. "She will not mind me," he stated flatly without looking at the sniper, and he knew it was the truth. After all, he thought, he would still be fulfilling Nino's request. She had said she did not want to speak with anyone about what had happened, but the consolation that Jaffar could give her required no words whatsoever.

Rebecca protested further, but Jaffar simply ignored the rest of her pleas.

-----

Nino sat on her bedroll facing away from the front of the tent as Jaffar entered. She sat with her knees hugged to her chest as she sobbed into her legs with desperate abandon, and so great was the sorrow pervading through the tent that Jaffar almost felt as though he would cry himself. The sensation was unfamiliar, but he hated it at once. The old Nino would never have sparked such a painful emotion within him...

"I _told_ you to leave me—" Nino began angrily as she noticed Jaffar's entry, but as she turned around and recognized who she was looking at, the rebuke died on her lips. "—O-oh. H-hello, Jaffar..." she sobbed instead. "I-I'm...I'm sorry f-for r-running away l-like that..."

"It's all right," he stated simply, sitting down next to her. "Are you..." he began hesitantly, "...are you feeling any better?"

She shook her head without looking at him, sniffing. More tears leaked forth as she did so.

"It's all right," he repeated softly. He had half a mind to draw her close again, to allow her to let out her sorrow, but Nino interrupted him.

"N-no it's n-not, Jaffar..." she sobbed. "I...I-I'm so a-afraid..."

"Why?" Jaffar asked as she fell silent.

"I-I've lost...so m-many people..." she whispered, her gaze still on the floor. Then, quite suddenly, she looked up at the assassin, her baby-blue eyes sparkling with worry. "I-I don't want to l-lose a-anyone else, Jaffar. Especially—e-especially you..."

Jaffar wasn't quite sure how to react. She cared for him so much that she worried for him over everyone else. It filled him with a strange warmth to know that, the same warmth that usually came when she smiled. What was this?

"Y-you've done s-so m-much for m-me..." she went on, the worry in her eyes intensifying. "I-if you...g-got hurt o-or..." She left the rest unsaid, but the fear remained in her eyes.

Jaffar wanted to tell the young mage that he would be fine, but he knew that despite his skill, the chance of getting hurt was always there, and it was something he could not control. He knew he had to say something, anything that might soothe her worries, but there was nothing he could think of. "Nino..."

But Nino did not seem to mind. She was fishing through the pouch at her waist, searching for something, drawing it out after a few moments. It was her pendant, the one that Jan had given her back at the Water Temple. Jaffar noticed, though, that she had added something to it: the golden cord now ran through decorations of what seemed to be red and green dried berries that had not been there before.

"What is that?" Jaffar asked, curious.

"Rebe—Rebecca taught me h-how to m-make this," Nino explained, sniffing. Even through all of her tears and worries, even after all she had been through, she managed a tiny smile—something Jaffar immediately noticed. The smile widened slowly as she wiped her tears away with her hand, and it filled the assassin with happiness because he knew the old Nino was returning. "Sh-she said...she said I-I should give it...t-to someone...who's s-special to me." Her face was bright red, but perhaps that was because she had been crying only moments ago. She stared at the pendant for a few more moments before looking up...and handing it to Jaffar.

"I-I want you to h-have it," she said softly, her tiny smile growing wider despite the tearstains still on her face.

The warmth he had missed so much was overwhelming him with its intensity. She had just trusted him with what had to be her most valuable possession, something she had said she would only give to someone she thought was special to her... It was almost too much for Jaffar to bear, even though he delighted in it.

He took the pendant from her hand, staring at it as though it was a priceless keepsake, which, for him, it was. "Why...do you want me to have this?" he asked softly, almost incredulously. It was hard for him to believe that Nino would just give her greatest treasure to him without any reason.

"W-well..." She looked away for a moment, embarrassed, before her gaze returned to his eyes, her smile even wider now. "Y-you're...very special to me, Jaffar..."

Jaffar could barely breathe. He felt as though he might fall into a daze if the warmth coursing through him got any stronger. He couldn't believe the reversal of fortune that had just occurred. Only minutes beforehand he had thought that taking Nino back to her tent had gone worse than he could have ever imagined, and now he felt the best that he ever had in his entire life.

"B-but, Jaffar..." she went on, and now her voice held a more serious tone. "I want...I-I want you to promise me something."

"What is it?" Jaffar asked, not really caring how simple or difficult it might be to keep. He would do anything for this girl.

"I want...I-I need you to promise that you'll be able to return this to me," she said softly, her eyes falling slightly. "I need you to promise that you...won't get hurt. I want you to stay with me... I don't know what I'd do without you, Jaffar, I..." She trailed off.

The assassin closed his hand around the pendant. "Of course...I promise," he replied softly, the warmth still coursing through him making it strangely hard to speak. "I will always be near you..."

Nino smiled serenely at him, her cheeks tinted pink. "Thank you so much, Jaffar..." Then, without warning, she placed her arms around the assassin, hugging him tight, and Jaffar knew that this time her embrace was not a means of support but a gesture of affection. "We'll...we'll always be friends, right?"

Jaffar returned the embrace slowly, almost dumbstruck by the warmth threatening to engulf his mind. "Of...of course," he replied slowly, but sincerely. "You are...you are my best friend, Nino..." he added. She was his only friend, but it was nonetheless the truth, and he meant every word. He was filled with the strangest feeling, however. It was as though he knew there was something else he had forgotten to tell her, something she needed to know, but he could not remember what it was.

She hugged him tighter, letting out a happy sigh. "You're my best friend, too...Jaffar."

They sat there for a few moments, simply enjoying the embrace. And Jaffar knew, as warmth flooded through him, that the old Nino, _his_ Nino, had returned.

* * *

Whew! This one took a long while to plan out...what did you guys think? Remember, don't hesitate to point out any problems that catch your eye. I need to know these things if I want to improve! :)  
Also, my next update will probably be a little late. My mid-year exams are next week, so...yeah. You get the picture. I might still be able to get up the next chapter in a normal amount of time, but I wouldn't expect it.  
All right, well I have to go catch the school bus (one hour snow delays RULE! :D). But until next time... 

Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT


	17. Certainty

Well, midyears are over, and I did a lot better than I anticipated! Let's hear it for low expectations :P

_Flaming Soul_: Thanks for your review!

_timmycheese_: Don't worry, Jaffar will be understanding his feelings shortly. :) Also, congrats, you're my 400th reviewer! The number's really starting to get up there...

_AmbieChan_: You replaced _fifteen_ chapters? I always want my stories to be the best that they can be, but I don't think I'd go _that_ far... Also, looking forward to your Fire Emblem fics!

_Oswin the Nino Fan_: No, Jaffar won't be getting hurt. I meant Jaffar to promise more that he'll stay by Nino's side than not get hurt. So don't worry about that :)

_Ryst_: You have no idea how much I like this story more than _Defiance_. I mean, yeah, I still love looking back on where I started, but I'd hate myself if I wrote like I did in _Defiance_ today XD

_The Blazing Blade_: Thanks for your review!

_Dracobolt_: The bit at the end of the previous chapter was based off Nino and Jaffar's B support. I did change it around quite a bit, though.

_Dreamer of Riddles_: If you think I don't like writing angst, you should read the (one) story that I have on my deviantART account (it's TheOneAndOnlyT, just like my name here). I can write angst if I want to :P

_Kitten Kisses_ (x2): That is the longest review I have _ever_ seen. I don't think it's possible to respond to the whole thing XD

_Hinata2005_: Jaffar is not going to get hurt. Don't worry about that :)

_Firelien_: Thanks for your review!

_FireEdge_: Don't worry, the A support should be coming soon... Also, I noticed you put me in your list of friends in your bio...would you happen to have AIM? I'd love to be able to talk to you :)

_moonlit-leaf_: Thanks for your review!

_Inferno-Hero_: That's not being critical, that's just flaming. :P Also, I don't write the exact supports out, so is it still a spoiler if the readers don't know that it's based off a support conversation?

_Ragnarok-legend_: Nino would probably be able to forgive Raven in time, but it isn't going to be featured in this story. Besides, at this point in the timeline (at least in my stories), Raven has more pressing things on his mind, like Priscilla and Heath :P

_Nocturna-Fire-Demoness_: Thanks for your review!

_Icy AngelWings_: Thanks for your review!

_Lao Who Mai_: Thanks for your review!

_K-GForever_: Thanks for your review!

_katelynn_: Thanks for your review!

_Spectral Flame_: Thanks for your review. 'Nuff said. :P

_Poyo_: Thanks for your review!

_Evergladelord_: Thanks for your review!

_Ryzuki_: I don't feel rushed to update, but hey, I want my readers to be happy:)

_gentleness28_: Doesn't it suck that there's only one "official" art for each character:P I know how you feel...

_Jeanie_: Um, yeah, I think you did lose me there. Aren't "filler" and "important to the story" complete opposites? XD

_hyliansage_: Thanks for your review!

Onwards...

**Chapter Seventeen**  
**Certainty**

This was the way things should be, Jaffar thought as he sat on his bedroll, listening contentedly to Nino's reading, which was now more confident than ever. The young mage still faltered occasionally, but she was clearly mastering her ability. Even still, Jaffar delighted more than ever in the few moments when she asked for his help and he got a serene smile in return. Only a few days beforehand he had been afraid that he might never experience this sort of moment again, that Nino would no longer be herself, and he cherished the fact that he had this opportunity.

It had been two days since the battle at the Shrine of Seals, and Jaffar had spent the time thinking over his feelings for Nino, since they now were stronger than ever. The experience of temporarily losing her had been almost too much to bear, but it also had made him realize just how deeply his feelings toward the girl ran. Losing her, even for a few hours, had sent a vicious wave of despair through the assassin, the likes of which he had never felt before, and he did not even want to think about what would happen to him if he were to lose her forever.

It was then that he had realized that he _never_ wanted Nino to leave him again. She was the only reason he was even alive at this very moment, and Jaffar wasn't sure if he could go on living if she was not there to provide him with the warmth and emotion he seemed almost dependent upon lately. As always, Jaffar had wondered whether his feelings for her were love, but for the first time he had seen love as an emotion that he would _enjoy_ experiencing. After all, couples that were in love usually lived together... It would mean that he could stay with the girl beyond their travels with Eliwood's battalion.

What was more, though at first he had not recognized the signs of love that Lyn had seen in him, he thought he might have seen one of those signs himself during the battle at the Shrine of Seals, when Nino had been hurt. The strength with which he had killed the rogue archer had been more potent than any power Jaffar normally possessed, and it was something he had seen before, during his days as a Black Fang assassin. In the past, he had learned to be wary if his targets were married or in a romantic relationship, because if the loved ones of his targets learned of Jaffar's intentions, then they would fight the assassin, sometimes with superhuman strength, to protect the ones they loved.

Jaffar had felt a similar power flow through him when Nino had been hurt, and over the two days since that battle he had realized just what the presence of that strength had meant. He was more certain than ever that his feelings for the girl were love...but he knew that that certainty was not absolute. Despite what he had told her on that day, though, Jaffar knew that whatever his feelings towards Nino were, they were stronger than just friendship.

Jaffar knew he shared a special bond with the young mage. He was just uncertain of the nature of that bond at the moment. He had a burning desire to tell Nino how he felt about her, to tell her just how much she meant to him, but before he spoke to her about such matters, he wanted to be certain whether or not his feelings were love. And whether the assassin liked it or not, that meant speaking with Legault again.

-

Jaffar spent the majority of the next day wondering just what he could say to convince the thief that Nino had changed him. Having not spoken with the Hurricane in some time, Jaffar could not be sure whether Legault's perception of him had been altered by what he had done over the previous several days, but he figured it was best to be prudent. After all, he did not want to attempt to speak with Legault only to be turned away again.

Nino, as always, walked beside the assassin as the army marched onwards over Bern's hilly terrain towards their new destination of Ostia, with a few large clouds dotting the sky. Jaffar found himself staring at the girl beside him almost constantly, feeling the now-familiar warmth fill his body as memories of his experiences with Nino flooded his mind.

He had never really thought about it before, but Nino had changed him in an almost innumerable amount of ways. Before he had known the young mage, Jaffar had been a machine, blindly following orders without any thought to the consequences. But the mere sight of the green-haired girl had broken him out of that unending loop as an assassin. He had _felt_ emotions he had never experienced before. He was no longer a puppet; he could think for himself, make his own decisions. And it was all because of her.

He could care about those around him, as well; he could live his life not just for himself but also for another. That, Jaffar realized, was the most fundamental change Nino had sparked within him, and it was what separated him from that black-hearted woman Sonia and the rest of her Black Fang pawns. The fact that he cared for Nino, that he would give his life to protect her, was proof enough of the young mage's effect on him. And it was what he had to tell Legault the next time he spoke with the thief.

There was one other question, though, one Jaffar had largely forgotten about over the past several days but which had suddenly come rushing back in full force with the realization of his special bond with the young mage: whether or not Nino loved _him_.

_You will not have to ask her._

The assassin recalled Lyn's words, and wondered whether Nino had said or done anything that might have indicated her feelings. But it did not take long to realize that she had. After all, she had given him her most valuable possession: her pendant.

_You're...very special to me, Jaffar..._

The cord of the pendant was wrapped twice around his forearm, a constant reminder to not just him but _everyone_ that he had promised to always remain by Nino's side. At first, he had actually worn it around his neck, but Nino, giggling, had told him that he looked silly that way. She did, however, seem extremely appreciative of the fact that he was wearing it at all.

He wasn't sure whether Nino giving him her most precious possession showed that she loved him, but as with his own feelings, he knew that it indicated a stronger bond than the friendship she had promised him at the Shrine of Seals. It had, after all, been implied in the young mage's words as she gave him the pendant that she thought of the assassin as more than just a friend.

The girl caught his gaze, smiling warmly up at the assassin just as she always had many times in the past. Jaffar had seen her smile so many times, yet it never failed to delight him, never failed to fill him with the warmth that strengthened his resolve to stay with Nino forever.

The assassin's gaze returned to the road ahead of him as one of Nino's friends came over and began chatting amiably with the girl. As with Sonia's death, Nino had recovered from the pain she had felt at the death of her stepbrother remarkably quickly—that, or she was very adept at hiding her feelings—and within a few days her personality had been back to normal. Jaffar occasionally wondered how she was able to deal with her anguish so well, but he didn't give the matter too much thought. The young mage was happy, and that was all that really mattered to him.

Jaffar knew the bond that he shared with Nino was unlike the one she shared with her girl friends. He just hoped that this time, Legault would tell him just what that bond was.

-

Darkness had fallen, and Jaffar sat on his bedroll, unable to decide what to do. The camp was more active than usual; several soldiers were talking with each other outside of their tents, taking advantage of the warm, humid night. Jaffar, however, didn't pay any attention to the conversations he could hear outside. His thoughts were focused only on Legault, and what he should do.

He had made sure to watch Nino go to Canas's tent this time, so that he would not end up in a situation where he would have to endure the unspoken taunts of those who understood love in order to learn where Legault was staying. But now, he found himself with a different problem: he wasn't sure whether he should go speak with the thief.

He couldn't understand why that would be. Jaffar had spent all day hoping that Legault might actually tell him something useful this night, but now he found himself afraid of what the consequences of that information might be. After all, what if Legault told him that the bond the assassin shared with Nino was not love, and Jaffar's entire search had been for naught? He had finally begun to _hope_ that he might love the girl, that he might be able to stay with her beyond their travels with Eliwood's battalion. What if it turned out that was not to be?

Yet, another part of his mind argued, this was something he _had_ to know, whether or not the answer was something he would like. He had spent over a week searching for what love was, and he wasn't about to simply give up now because he was afraid of the answer he might receive.

And as the two parts of his mind battled for superiority, Jaffar simply sat motionless inside his tent, fraught with indecision. What would break him out of his reverie, however, was the last thing the assassin had been expecting.

"Hey, Jaffar."

It was Matthew.

The thief had opened the front flap of the tent, a casual expression on his face as he stared at the assassin. With over a week having passed since Matthew's attack in the Bern manse, Jaffar's perception of the thief as a threat had been largely forgotten. The sandy-haired man even seemed relaxed, and Jaffar knew that Matthew wouldn't dare try to harm him with all the soldiers milling about the campsite. He would be caught in an instant if he tried anything.

But Jaffar could tell, with his first glance at the thief, that something was not right. The sandy-haired man was smirking oddly at the assassin, almost condescendingly, as though he knew something that Jaffar did not. Jaffar had expected that in his next encounter with Matthew, the thief would be even more ferocious than in their previous meeting. Yet Matthew stood before him calmly, showing not even a hint of anger, which set off more alarms in the assassin's head. What was going on?

Matthew looked to the air, as though he was trying to remember something. "Jaffar," he said casually, as though he were talking about the weather, "what was that girl's name again?" He looked again at the assassin, his odd smirk growing. "It was Nino, wasn't it?"

And then, in a flash of terror, Jaffar knew what was wrong. Matthew wasn't trying to harm him. He had instead done something to _Nino_. Unable to harm the assassin directly, he had set his sights on the person most important to his enemy.

Rage flooded Jaffar instantly, and before he even knew what he was doing, he instinctively leapt towards Matthew, forcefully tackling the sandy-haired thief and flinging both Matthew and himself out of the tent, onto the ground. In an instant, one of his knives was at the thief's neck, and he gave a deadly whisper, "_What have you done with her?_"

The other soldiers outside noticed the two of them crashing out of the tent, and turned to watch the spectacle before them, wondering what was happening.

Matthew, however, did not seem perturbed at all by Jaffar's words or the position he was presently in. He did not even attempt to resist the assassin's grip; instead, his condescending smirk only grew ever wider, as though he had expected Jaffar's reaction. "Oh, nothing..." he said, still as casual as could be. Then, quite suddenly, his expression changed to a dark one of triumph. "..._Yet._"

Jaffar snarled with fury, pressing his knife closer and drawing a thin line of blood from the thief's throat. The assassin would rather die than let Nino get hurt. "If you hurt her in _any_ way," Jaffar whispered ferociously, "I will—"

"If _you_ hurt _me_ in any way then she will die," Matthew cut the assassin off, stopping Jaffar's threat in its tracks. Matthew winced in pain from Jaffar's knife, but the emotions on his face did not change. "So I _suggest_ that you get your filthy hands off me, murderer," he went on, anger finally making its way into his voice.

Jaffar's fear, which had been drowned out by his rage towards the thief, suddenly came rushing back in full force. Where had Matthew taken Nino? Frantically, he searched around the campsite, looking for any sign of the green-haired girl. His breaths began to come more quickly as he realized he could not find her.

"Oh, don't bother looking for her, Jaffar," the thief chuckled darkly, his anger fading. "My friends already have her restrained in one of the tents. _But_—" he went on insistently, as Jaffar had leapt up, ready to search through every tent in the camp to find the young mage, "I suggest you don't move, Jaffar." He stood up, brushing himself off but still smirking in that same odd manner. "You make a move, and the girl dies. Do you understand?"

More soldiers' attention had been drawn to the incident taking place at Jaffar's tent, and several of them had walked over, forming a small circle around the two of them. If any of them understood what was happening or the reason for the conflict, they did not show it. They clearly knew that something bad was happening before their eyes, but they were too afraid to intervene, for fear of producing even worse consequences.

And Jaffar panicked. If he moved, Nino would die. But if he _didn't_ move, then Matthew would kill her anyway. The terror took hold of him, and his breath started coming in ragged gasps. What could he do?

"Don't worry, Jaffar," the thief said, noticing the worry etched into the assassin's face. "She is unharmed. And if you do what I _say_, then she will remain that way; I promise you that. Otherwise..." Matthew left the rest unsaid, but an insane grin spread across his face; he looked as though he would be delighted to cause the same harm to his enemy as had been dealt to him.

Jaffar calmed himself a little. So Nino had not been hurt. He deeply resented the fact that he had to follow this crazed man's orders, but if it would keep Nino safe, then he would do anything. Gritting his teeth, he replied, "Tell me what to do."

Matthew, however, did not give a verbal reply. Instead, still grinning insanely, he reached down to the sheath at his waist and pulled out his dagger. Though he did not speak, the appearance of his weapon said everything: Jaffar would have to choose between his life and Nino's.

The small crowd surrounding them let out a collective gasp when they noticed the dagger, and almost all of them backed away. Their eyes showed that they desperately wanted to intervene, but if they did now, Matthew might kill _them_ as well in the state he was in. So they remained silent, praying that no blood would be spilled.

"Yes, it's dishonorable," the thief went on, now addressing not only Jaffar but the entire crowd. "But then again, Jaffar, _you_ know nothing of honor, now do you?"

Almost unconsciously, one of the assassin's hands went up to his other arm, which Nino's pendant remained wrapped around. Yet even as he did so, even as he realized he would have to break his promise to the young mage, he felt an eerie sense of calm wash through him. It was the same emptiness he had felt when he had resolved to give up his life back in the Bern prince's manse, all those days ago.

He had to die to protect Nino, but he did not feel happy, sad, angry, or any other emotion except relief at the fact that Nino would be safe. That was, after all, all that had really mattered to him since he had initially saved the girl. Matthew was forcing him to choose between his life and the young mage's, but Jaffar would gladly give up his life to save Nino without a second thought.

His hand remained on the pendant, and quietly, he whispered an apology to the girl that could not hear him. He had broken his promise, but if Nino continued to live...then it was worth it.

And then, slowly, he sheathed his knife, silently informing Matthew of his decision.

The thief's insane grin only grew as he realized how close he was to his goal. "Good decision, Jaffar," he muttered, before looking up at the sky. "Are you watching me, Leila?" he asked no one. "I'm going to end this right now."

And then there was an abrupt interruption.

"Matthew!" It was Hector, having just broken through the crowd. "What the _hell_ are you doing? Stop it!"

The thief, however, did not take kindly to this disruption, and he quickly seized the assassin, holding his knife to Jaffar's neck as though he were holding some sort of hostage. Jaffar did not resist, fear of Nino's safety preventing him from doing anything.

Hector stopped inside the circle of people, but he didn't dare come any closer. Instead, he regarded the thief with an intense but calm gaze. "Let him go," he commanded softly.

"You're not stopping me now," Matthew babbled, his breath suddenly coming in quick gasps. "Not now. Not when I'm this close to finishing this."

"Matthew," Hector repeated, still as calm as ever despite his eyes still blazing. "Do you remember what I told you? Leila's death was not Jaffar's fault."

"Do you think I _give_ a damn?" the thief demanded, his voice a deadly whisper. "Don't you understand? This is what Leila..." The intensity in his voice dropped several notches. "It's what she..."

And then, quite suddenly, the knife dropped from Jaffar's throat. Slowly, still afraid for Nino's safety, Jaffar began to turn around, wondering what had made Matthew stop. When the thief did not protest, he turned around fully, and found the sandy-haired man staring blankly at Hector, shaking his head lethargically.

"It's not..." the thief whispered. "She...she wouldn't want me to..."

"Of course not," Hector replied, the fire in his eyes dimming as he noticed the progress he was making. "Didn't you know her best, Matthew? She wouldn't want you to do this."

Matthew's face fell slowly, but he did not say anything in reply.

"Where is Nino?" Jaffar suddenly demanded. That was his utmost priority—if Matthew had aborted his plan, then the assassin needed to know where she was as soon as possible, before his friends decided to do anything to her.

Matthew did not even look up. "I...I never touched her," he mumbled. "She's completely safe."

"What!" a girl in the crowd exclaimed, and after a moment Jaffar identified the voice as Rebecca's as the archer stepped forward indignantly. "You mean you—"

"Well it _worked_, didn't it?" Matthew cut her off angrily, clearly not wanting to talk about it.

And he was right, Jaffar knew he was right. Matthew had successfully exploited Jaffar's desire to protect the girl in order to further his own ends. He should have felt angry, furious at that exploitation, but instead he felt strangely calm, most likely as thanks to the thief for sparing his life. After all, he should have been thankful no one had been hurt in the end.

Matthew had said that Nino was completely safe, but Jaffar still wanted to check on her, to make sure the thief had been telling the truth. He was about to head of to Canas's tent, to see if the young mage really was still there, but Matthew stopped him.

"Jaffar."

The assassin turned, expecting the thief to be gazing at him contemptuously, but instead Matthew's eyes held a pleading expression. "I-I want you...to tell me truly," he said slowly, drawing out every word. "Did you...or did you not..." He took a deep breath. "...wish to murder Leila?"

"I didn't," Jaffar replied truthfully. Then, quite suddenly, another thought jumped into his head. He wasn't sure how it had appeared, but he felt as though it was something that Matthew should know. "That woman..." he went on slowly, hoping he would not provoke the thief any further. "There was a name clinging to her final breath. She said, 'Matthew.'"

The thief gasped, his eyes suddenly sparkling with tears. "R-really?" he asked weakly.

Jaffar, however, had already turned and left.

-

His eyes were fixed upon the tent at the opposite end of the camp; he was hoping, praying Nino would still be there, studying her reading as though nothing had happened. He was within a few feet of the tent when a voice from behind stopped him.

"No need to look in there, Angel of Death." It was Legault. Jaffar turned to find the Hurricane grinning at him. "After all, you wouldn't want to interrupt her studying, would you?"

Indeed, Jaffar could hear her voice coming from inside the tent. He couldn't make out exactly what she was saying, but he guessed that she was, as always, reading out of one of her magic tomes. A congratulatory sound from Canas confirmed it—neither of them had heard the commotion on the other side of the campsite.

And that meant Nino was all right...

Legault's grin became a smile. "Yes, she's fine," he said, as though he could read the assassin's thoughts. "Quite a relief, isn't it?"

Jaffar nodded in reply, but his relief quickly gave way to another thought, one that had plagued his mind all day. Legault was standing before him now. He could ask the thief about his feelings...

The assassin opened his mouth to speak, but then quickly turned his head towards the tent behind him as he realized just how close Nino was, how easily she might overhear what he was saying to the Hurricane. He wanted to tell her how he felt himself, and before he did that he wanted to be sure what his feelings were. But until then, she could not know of this conversation.

"Afraid she might hear you, eh?" Legault chuckled, again as though he could read Jaffar's thoughts. "Very well," he went on cheerily. "Come with me." He gestured Jaffar to follow.

The two of them walked over to the campfire, the space surrounding it empty as everyone who had been outside was now crowded around Hector and Matthew. As they approached the center of the camp, Legault asked, "So what do you need to ask me?"

Jaffar took another look back at the tent Nino was in before turning his attention to the lavender-haired man before him. Just as he had in his first meeting with the thief, he asked, "What does love feel like?" He silently hoped that this time he would get an answer.

Legault cocked his head slightly, amused a bit by Jaffar's question. "You're still thinking about that?" he asked, genuinely curious. He turned his head, staring off at nothing in particular. "My, but you're perseverant."

Jaffar only stared back at the Hurricane silently, impatiently. Was he going to receive an answer or not?

Legault's gaze turned back to the assassin. "Can I ask you something, Jaffar?" he inquired, serious for once. "Why do you wish to know about love so badly?"

Jaffar, sensing an opportunity arising, got straight to the point. "I need to know whether or not I love Nino."

The thief's eyes widened at bit at Jaffar's answer, but then, quite suddenly, he began chuckling, grinning at the assassin with a mixture of mirth and amazement. "That's what you've been wondering about all this time?"

"Yes," Jaffar replied flatly, hoping that Legault's amusement did not mean he was going to turn him away again.

"My, oh, my," Legault said to himself, chuckling some more.

Jaffar had finally had enough. "What is so funny?" he demanded. "Why are you laughing?"

Legault grinned again. "Well, when you think about it, it really is quite amusing."

"_What_ is? Tell me," the assassin commanded.

The Hurricane looked at the ground for a moment, grinning, before looking back up at Jaffar. "Well, it's just that _you've_ been wondering for so long whether you love Nino, but just about everyone in this army is already certain that you do."

* * *

BOOM! Cliffhanger! I'm evil, I know...  
But before you start yelling at me for ending the chapter like that, please tell me what you thought of this one! Is everyone in character? Were the events realistic? Please tell me; these scenes were very important and I want to make sure that they're perfect.

Please review!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT


	18. Smile

Well, here we are...the last chapter. And since this is the last chapter, you know what's coming up...

_Spectral Flame_: Thanks for your review!

_fire-emblem-girl_: Thanks for your review!

_Kein_: Thanks for your review!

_Ryst_: I also think Matthew and Jaffar's final support was supposed to be more of a private meeting, and in the scene I wrote, I tried to portray Matthew as wanting to keep it that way. If you look back at it, you'll notice that _Jaffar_ is the one who really made the scene "public" by knocking Matthew out of the tent.

_Nocturna-Fire-Demoness_: That was Matthew and Jaffar's A support, though Matthew didn't really go insane in the game. Then again, you can't really discern his emotions in the game, so...

_Hamano Ayumi_: Well, here's the resolution to that cliffhanger, OK? You can calm down... :P

_Inferno-Hero_: No, you didn't flame me! I was just referring to the joke you made about being overly critical. _That_ would be a flame. :P

_Dracobolt_: How was Matthew out of character? I can't fix it if you don't tell me what's wrong.

_K-GForever_: Thanks for your review!

_Flaming Soul_: Thanks for your review!

_hyliansage_: I want to respond to your review, but it'd probably end up being about half a page long, sorry. XD Thanks for your review!

_Firelien_: The problem for the "crowd" in the last chapter was not with whether or not they liked Jaffar. Instead, as I wrote, they were concerned for their own safety if they were to intervene. I don't know about you, but _I_ certainly wouldn't get in the way of someone with a knife that looks crazy...

_Duderly Bob_: Thanks for your review!

_icy angelwings_: Thanks for your review!

_The Blazing Blade_: Why do you think Legault is too cocky? Remember, I can't fix someone's character if you don't tell me what's wrong with it.

_lzn64_: Thanks for your review!

_FireEdge_: You know AIM is free, right? Why not get it :(

_Lao Who Mai_: Uh... -backs away- Thanks for your review...

_Jeanie_: Thanks for your review!

_Kakayo_: Well, don't worry. There's plenty more stuff happening in this chapter...

_timmycheese_: Haha, if you _really_ want to go back to the beginning, you should go look at the start of _Defiance_. I've come such a long way since then -sniff-

_Oswin the Nino Fan_: Matthew doesn't deserve to die, not after all he's been through...but he certainly shouldn't have tried to take his anger out on Jaffar. :) Thanks for your review!

_gentleness28_: You've got great timing on the picture, you know. Only the epilogue remains after this chapter, and it'd be cool if you finished it at the same time the story ended. :)

_angel white_: Hello there, Sapphire. :) Thanks for your review!

_Sokuma_: Thanks for your review!

_urda_: Thanks for your review!

_Ragnarok-legend_: Well, it's going to be undone now. Thanks for your review!

_Destiny'sPromise_: Thanks for your review!

And now, the moment(s) that you've all been waiting for...

**Chapter Eighteen**  
**Smile**

Jaffar couldn't breathe, much less speak. Did Legault's words mean what he thought they meant? He was paralyzed with shock, not just because of the thief's answer but also because of the fact that he had gotten that answer so quickly. Legault had not told him anything despite the assassin's persistence the first time they had met, and yet now the thief was speaking freely with almost no effort on Jaffar's part.

But the assassin's thoughts quickly turned to what Legault had actually said, and what it meant. Had the entire _army_ really been so certain that he loved Nino? He wondered how he could have been so oblivious. Had he been so focused on the young mage herself that he never listened to the conversations going on around him?

Jaffar quickly dropped that train of thought, though, as he realized what else the thief had just told him. Did Legault really mean...

Noticing Jaffar's shocked expression, Legault's grin grew wider, and he began chuckling again. "Is it really that much of a surprise to you?" he asked, genuinely curious. "I was expecting you to tell her that you loved her days ago, Angel of Death. Everyone was, really. Especially the girls; they couldn't stop talking about you two."

Jaffar might have been surprised by the thief's report of the rumors about him and Nino if it weren't for Legault's confirmation to his suspicion.

He loved Nino. And not only Legault, but every soldier in the battalion besides him had known it for days. There were so many emotions rushing through him that he didn't know what to feel. He was angry, because this secret had been kept from him for so long, and because he had been unable to recognize it himself, yet he was also content because he now knew the answer to the question that had plagued him for days on end. He was confused, wondering why Legault had not given him this answer in the first place, but he was also pleased with the thief for finally providing it, even if it had taken several days.

But above all, more than anything, he felt an overwhelming happiness and warmth surge through him when he realized the implications of his feelings. No longer would he have to worry about what might happen after his travels with the army were over. He could stay with Nino _forever_, protecting her from anything and everything while she continued to provide him with that warmth and emotion that had remade him and created his feelings for her in the first place. And it would never end...

His mind abruptly showed him all those times when he had seen other romantic couples, all those times he had wondered whether he wanted to be like them. And for the first time, he realized that he _did_. He thought of that time he had seen Eliwood and Ninian holding each other close in front of the campfire...and then imagined himself and Nino in that position instead. The mere thought of sharing a moment like that with her sent a tingle of happiness down his spine. Simply sitting there, holding her in his arms, letting her warmth flow into him, acting just like all those other couples he had seen... Why had he never recognized this emotion before? The more he thought about his love for Nino, the more incredulous he became that it had taken him this long to understand his feelings. That disbelief, however, was quickly washed away by pure delight. He loved Nino...

And Legault quickly noticed the change in Jaffar's demeanor. "It looks," he said, still chuckling, his grin growing into a smile, "like I just told you something you _really_ wanted to hear."

He could not have been more correct, and Jaffar wanted to reply, to agree with the thief, but found himself too dazed by the warmth consuming his body to speak. Instead, he nodded slowly, but his eyes were not focused on the Hurricane, or anything else for that matter. It was as though he was in a dream, as though everything around him had disappeared, leaving only himself and the love for the young mage he felt inside him—the only things that mattered to him at that moment.

And Legault laughed. "I'll take that as a yes," he said cheerily, but Jaffar barely heard him.

He simply sat there, reveling in the emotions he had felt so many times in his experiences with Nino but had only recognized at this moment. Once again, he found himself wondering why it had taken so long for him to admit to himself that he loved the girl. When he looked back on them, the signs seemed so _obvious_; why had he been so uncertain and indecisive? It would have saved him a great deal of trouble if he had just been able to tell himself _yes_, he did love Nino, and be done with it.

But all of that wondering, all of the "should haves" whirling through Jaffar's mind disappeared instantly as he heard something behind him. It was a voice, the sweet, melodious voice he had grown to know and cherish.

"Hi, Jaffar!"

She walked by the assassin towards the tent she shared with him, looking over her shoulder at him as she walked and waving, smiling radiantly. Jaffar's breath left him abruptly, and he could do nothing more than stare back dumbly, watching Nino, feeling almost as though he were in a dream. Had she always been so beautiful? Why had he never noticed that before?

Suddenly, he held his hand to his forehead, looking at the ground in utter amazement. Where had _that_ thought come from? He had never thought of _any_ girl as beautiful before; he had, after all, never cared about such things. He was astounded; he had never thought that love could have such a profound effect on his thoughts.

Then again, he supposed, love had been altering his thoughts from the very moment that he had met her.

It was not a bad thing. He might have begun to think about the girl in a different way, but she was still Nino, and he still loved her. And now all that remained for the assassin to do was to tell the young mage how he felt about her. After that, he could stay with her for the rest of his life...

He looked again at Legault, about to thank him for finally ending his confusion, for giving him this opportunity to remain by Nino's side forever. He found the thief grinning back at him so widely that his teeth showed.

"Go tell her," he said simply. And Jaffar knew exactly what he meant.

"Thank you," the assassin responded as he stood up, still dazed slightly by all of the realizations and recognitions that had taken place only within the past few minutes. He was about to leave, was about to rush off to his tent so he could tell Nino his feelings, but Legault stopped him.

"Oh, Jaffar?" The assassin noticed that that was the first time the thief had called him by his name and not his title.

He turned back to the thief. "What is it?" he asked, almost as though he was in a trance. The dreamy shock still had not worn off.

Legault was no longer grinning, his expression somber. "About...the last time we spoke," he said slowly. "I must apologize. I was too stubborn to realize...Nino really _has_ changed you." He turned his head away, staring off into space, sighing wistfully, reminiscing. "You have no idea how lucky you are to have met her when you did." Jaffar was about to ask the thief what he meant when he abruptly went on, looking back up at the assassin and grinning again, albeit faintly. "But surely you don't want to hear about that." His grin grew wider. "Go to her, Jaffar. I'm sure she'll be delighted to hear what you have to say."

It was all the encouragement Jaffar needed. Turning, he dashed back to his tent.

-

Nino was lying on her bedroll, reading quietly with one leg propped up on the other as Jaffar entered their tent. She looked up from her book as he came in, smiling serenely once she recognized who it was. Jaffar felt his breath catch in his throat as the familiar warmth filled him, more intensely than ever before, because he knew he would never have to worry about missing it ever again.

_I love you._ Three little words. That was all he had to say, and he would be with her forever.

"Nino," he said breathlessly. "There is something I must tell you."

"Really?" she asked in response, smiling expectantly. "What is it?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but as he did so, a terrifying possibility entered his mind, one that he had not anticipated before. He should have asked Legault about it, but he had been too caught up in his own realizations to remember it, and the possibility remained: _what if Nino didn't love him?_

He had been so focused on the prospect of staying by the girl's side for the rest of his life that he had neglected to realize such a relationship depended not on the feelings of one person but those of both of the people involved. He loved Nino, was absolutely certain of it now, but if she didn't feel the same way, then his feelings meant nothing.

He remembered how he had told Nino they would always be friends, and he chillingly realized that he would have to break that promise. Obviously, if Nino did love him, then she would understand. He wasn't worried about that. But if it turned out that perhaps her feelings for him were not that strong, then she would push him away, would not want to remain friends with him anymore. Not if he had broken his promise to her.

_I love you._ Three little words. That was all he had to say, and he could destroy the bond he shared with her.

"Jaffar?" Nino's voice broke him out of his thoughts, the voice of the girl he loved. Her eyebrows were arched in confusion; her eyes sparkled with concern at his silence. "Are you...all right?" she asked slowly, carefully.

"...I'm fine," he replied after a moment, just as slowly. Guilt ripped through his insides as he spoke; he hated having to lie to the young mage. But he needed to be absolutely sure before he told her his feelings. He dearly wanted to tell her, but he felt it would be better to remain simply friends with her than to potentially lose the bond they shared. "It's nothing," he went on, shaking his head. "Never mind."

Nino blinked, clearly confused. "Well...if you say so..." she replied slowly, though her expression indicated she did not believe him. She returned to her book, no longer smiling as she usually was when reading.

Jaffar lay down on his bedroll silently, cursing himself for not thinking before. He had continually wondered whether the young mage loved him; why had he forgotten that doubt just a moment ago? He could have lost her had he not remembered it, and that was a prospect too terrible to even think about.

He looked over at Nino again, who did not notice as she was focused on the magic tome she was reading. Again the desire burned within him; he _needed_ to tell the girl that he loved her. He could have said it at that very moment if he had the courage, but he was too afraid of being rejected, too afraid of losing her.

_I love you._ Three little words. That was all he had to say; it would be over in less than a second. But was it worth the risk? No, he needed to be _sure_ of her feelings, just as he had previously needed to be sure of his own. Perhaps he could ask Legault about that...

Of course, he could ask Legault about it. He had forgotten to do so before, but he could always speak with the thief again the next day. Then, if it turned out Nino really did love him, then he could tell her what he wanted to. If she didn't, well...he didn't know how he would react. It would hurt, but...it would be better to keep his feelings secret and remain friends with her if that were the case.

Yet part of his mind didn't want to wait to speak with Legault, wanted to tell her at that very moment. He could do it. All he would have to do was say those three little words and it would be over. But then again, another part of his mind argued, he had already waited over a week just to figure out his own love, so what harm was there in waiting one more day? As long as he was able to tell her in the end, it wouldn't matter.

He lay on his bedroll for some time, silently thinking, wondering whether to just get it over with and tell Nino his feelings or to wait. He never remembered falling asleep, but he had to have done so at some point, because that night, he had a very strange dream.

-

_The grassy plain stretched endlessly in all directions; the rain fell quietly from the darkened heavens. Jaffar blinked, confused. When had he gotten here?_

_The raindrops fell into his hair, but he could not feel them. He held out a hand, attempting to catch a drop. He could see the rain hitting his arm, but it left no tangible sensation. It was as though he had become completely numb. What was going on?_

_The biggest surprise, however, came when he looked down._

_Nino was there. The girl's arms were wrapped around his waist; her little body was pressed tightly against his. How could he not have noticed her? To his horror, though, he found he could not feel Nino's arms either. Her warmth should have been filling him; he should have been delighted at her embrace. Yet he could not feel a thing._

_He simply stood there, confused beyond belief. What had happened to him?_

_He tried to return Nino's embrace, but before he could even move his arms, Nino spoke._

_"I love you, Jaffar..." she whispered._

_The assassin's breath caught in his throat. Had he heard correctly? It was exactly what he had wanted to hear from her...yet even now, there was no warmth flowing through him, no happy reaction to what she had just said. There was...nothing. No emotion whatsoever, except his continual confusion. Why?_

_The young mage looked up at him, smiling brightly, expectantly. She was waiting for him to reply. And even though he could not feel her, even though there was no warmth flowing through him, he still knew what she wanted him to say._

_"I love you, Nino," he replied softly. At least, he attempted to reply. His mouth moved, but no sound came from him. He tried again; still nothing. Eyes widening in panic, he looked down at the girl still embracing him. Her expression had not changed; she was still smiling expectantly, still waiting for him to say something._

_But what could he do? He tried to say the words again and again, but his voice never came. And Nino continued to stare innocently at him, as though he had done nothing at all, as though she could not see the effort with which he was trying to speak. She simply kept smiling expectantly at him, still waiting for the words she was clearly longing to hear._

_But as Jaffar's silence grew longer and longer—despite his efforts against it—Nino's expression began to change. Her smile faded slowly; she appeared to realize that she was not going to get a response, or at least not the response she wanted to hear. The happy sparkle in her eyes disappeared, to be replaced by helplessness and then, after a time, tears. "No..." she whispered despairingly, trying her hardest not to cry. Her arms, which had been wrapped around the assassin, dropped slowly to her side. "Jaffar...you..."_

_Jaffar tried again to speak, tried to soothe her, but still he could not say a word. Realizing this, he instead tried to calm her physically, tried to place a hand on her shoulder, but as he moved to do so, she angrily wrenched herself away._

_"No!" she screamed, her tears bursting forth. Then, quite suddenly, her voice dropped to a despondent whisper. "I thought you loved me, Jaffar..."_

_And then, turning, she dashed away from him into the endless plain, sobbing all the while._

_"Nino!" he tried to call, but still, nothing. But he couldn't let her leave him, not like this, not when he still had to tell her his feelings..._

_He knew he could run faster than the girl, and he was about to do just that when he found that he could not move his legs. What had _happened_ to him? He couldn't feel, couldn't speak, couldn't walk...what had made him this way?_

_Unable to do anything to stop her, he could only stand there, staring helplessly as the girl he loved ran away from him, through the rain, further and further away..._

-

Gasping, Jaffar shot straight up in his bedroll, breathing heavily. He looked around himself hurriedly, disoriented. Had it all been a dream?

Slowly, as though he was afraid the young mage actually might not be there, he looked to his side at the bedroll next to him. The lantern was still burning despite the hour of night, and in its light he could see Nino sleeping soundly. One of her magic tomes lay open on her chest, rising and falling slowly with her breathing.

Jaffar could feel nothing but an overwhelming sense of relief flooding through him, and it was further intensified by the fact that he could feel his emotions once again. He had thought that he had lost her, but he had only been dreaming. She was still there with him, and he still had the chance to tell her that he loved her.

Nino looked so peaceful, sleeping there, and he could not help but feel a rush of emotion and warmth coursing through him as he looked at the girl. Slowly, as though he needed to make sure that she was actually real, he reached out a hand, touching her sleeping form gently. And he could feel her; she was really there. She mumbled something that sounded startlingly like his name at his touch before rolling away from him, her book falling onto the floor of the tent. The relief filled him again; he could hardly believe that she was still there.

But, he wondered as he lay back on his bedroll, had his dream perhaps meant something? If it had, he couldn't think of what its meaning could be. After all, he could feel, he could speak, and he could move. Why would those abilities ever leave him? It didn't make sense.

He fell asleep again wondering about it, but this time he slept dreamlessly.

-

The next morning, Jaffar woke to the sound of a heavy rain falling onto the roof of the tent. Nino had already awoken, and it appeared she had not wasted a moment before returning to her book, reading enthusiastically. She looked up at the assassin as he rose, smiling warmly, yet her expression seemed slightly subdued, somehow.

"Good morning," she greeted him softly. He nodded in acknowledgement, a reply he had become accustomed to in his travels with her.

After that, the two of them lapsed into silence, the rain making the only sound in the tent. Jaffar lay back on his bedroll, listening to the rain, wondering what the army would be doing because of the weather. Nino returned to her reading, but out of the corner of his eye Jaffar could frequently see she kept turning her head towards him, as though she wanted to tell him something, before snapping her eyes back towards her book. She tried to make it look like she was reading, but it was obvious to Jaffar that she was distracted.

Finally, though, she seemed to work up the courage to speak with him. "Jaffar?" she asked softly.

He sat up, turning to her. "What is it?" he asked in response.

The young mage looked at the floor, trying to think of the best way to phrase her question. After a moment, she looked up, her expression almost accusing. "Jaffar," she said, "what was the matter last night?"

Jaffar felt a sting of fear. Had she been wondering about what he had wanted to tell her the previous evening? To make sure, he asked slowly, "What...do you mean?"

Nino's gaze returned to the floor. "Well...you said you had something to tell me, but then all of a sudden you just...stopped." She looked back up at him, but this time her expression was one of concern. "Is...something wrong, Jaffar?"

Jaffar was afraid to speak. What could he say? Part of him still burned to tell the young mage that he loved her, but he was still afraid, terrified of maybe being rejected. Fortunately for him, though, at that moment, there was a convenient interruption.

The front flap of the tent opened slightly, and the two of them could see Mark standing there in the rain, a heavy cloak wrapped about his body to keep himself dry. "Just thought you two might want to know," he said quickly, clearly wanting to say what he needed to and to get out of the rain as fast as possible. "We aren't going anywhere today. The weather's too bad for us to really make any progress, and on top of that we don't want anyone getting sick. Merlinus will be by in a minute with some food for today, all right?"

Nino nodded, smiling slightly. "Thank you," she replied politely, and Mark quickly left. As soon as the tactician was gone, however, she quickly turned back to Jaffar, her baby-blue eyes again sparkling with worry. "Did something...bad happen to you last night, Jaffar?" she asked slowly, clearly not wanting to offend the assassin in any way.

"No," Jaffar lied, preferring not to let the girl know about his confrontation with Matthew. It didn't have anything to do with what he wanted to tell her, anyway.

"Well, what was the matter, then?" Nino pressed, hurt at the fact that the assassin was attempting to keep secrets from her. "You can tell me anything, Jaffar," she said soothingly, trying to persuade him to speak.

"It was nothing," Jaffar lied again, still afraid to tell her what he wanted despite the encouragement she had just given him. At the same moment, though, he thought of a way to end the conversation. It was something that he was going to do in any case, but it now provided him with a means of postponing having to tell Nino what she wanted to know. "I have to go speak with Legault," he said quickly, moving towards the entrance of the tent.

Nino blinked, both confused and hurt at the fact that Jaffar was pushing her away. "But...it's raining," she protested. "You heard what Mark said; he doesn't want anyone falling ill..."

"It's urgent," he explained simply, before dashing out of the tent without another word. Nino only stared silently, sadly after him.

-

Jaffar ran through the rain, not caring about getting wet or about Mark yelling after him to get back in his tent. If he didn't speak with Legault now, then Nino would force the assassin's feelings out of him before he wanted them to be known, and he couldn't have that. He had briefly considered the fact that Canas would be in the tent as well, but had quickly decided that that was not a bad thing. After all, Nino had spent a great deal of time with the shaman, so he might know a few things about the young mage's feelings.

He threw open the flap as he reached Legault and Canas's tent, quickly surveying the inside. The thief lay on his bedroll, apparently attempting to get back to sleep but failing. The shaman, unsurprisingly, had his nose buried in a book, speedily devouring the knowledge it contained.

Both of them, however, looked up as the assassin opened the front of the tent, Legault muttering a few choice words under his breath at having his slumber disrupted. When the thief realized who it was, however, his annoyance quickly turned into a grin. "Oh, it's you, Jaffar," he said cheerily, sitting up. "So...did you tell her?"

Jaffar shook his head, his expression neutral. "No," he replied simply.

Legault blinked a few times, confused. "Well, why not?" he asked, cocking his head slightly. "You seemed eager enough when we spoke last night..."

"Er, if I may interrupt..." Canas suddenly interjected before Jaffar could reply, clearly confused by Jaffar and Legault's conversation. "I'm terribly sorry if I'm being nosy, but what exactly are you two speaking about?"

Legault turned to the shaman, chuckling, his grin growing into an amused smile. "Our friend here is lovesick," he explained. "And apparently I've become Mister Romantic Advice overnight," he added, laughing.

"Is that so?" Canas asked, smiling slightly. He looked over at the assassin, who had now walked in and sat down, closing the tent to keep out the rain. "If I may ask, who would happen to be the object of your affections?"

"You have to ask, Canas?" Legault jokingly admonished the shaman, laughing again. "Think about it for a second."

Canas did as he was told, then smiled suddenly. "Ah, of course," he said. "It's that lovely young girl Nino, is it not?" When Legault did not decide to reply to the shaman's question, Jaffar gave a short nod.

"So as I was saying, Jaffar," Legault asked after the assassin had nodded, leaning back against the wall of the tent, "why exactly would you not want to tell Nino how you felt about her?"

Jaffar took a deep breath as part of his mind wondered the same thing. "There was...something I was still unsure of," he replied slowly. "Something that I forgot to ask you."

Legault cocked his head, intrigued. "Oh? What might that be?"

"Does Nino love me?"

In response to the assassin's question, Legault and Canas looked at each other, smiling knowingly. Then, as he looked back at Jaffar, the thief gave a snort of disbelief, shaking his head. "Honestly, Jaffar," he remarked playfully, "for all of the training we went through to improve our sight, you certainly seem blind sometimes."

"What do you mean?" Jaffar asked, slightly annoyed. He had begun to dislike the thief's roundabout way of speaking.

"I'm saying it should have been obvious to you, Jaffar," Legault replied, grinning. "It was obvious to us, at least. The girl _adores_ you."

Jaffar wasn't quite sure how to react. Nino loved him? Warmth and happiness flooded him as he realized what it meant. Now—and this time he was sure of it—he would be able to stay with the young mage for the rest of his life. Now he could tell her his own feelings without fear...

"Indeed," Canas added. "She told Legault and myself that many times, in fact. She's been wanting to tell you so for days now, you know."

"Why would she not tell me?" Jaffar asked, again finding it hard to speak due to the warmth coursing through him.

"Why do you think, Jaffar?" Legault asked in response. "She was afraid you wouldn't feel the same way. Needless to say, when I told her that you wouldn't understand a feeling such as love, that didn't exactly help things."

"It seems Legault's suspicions were incorrect, however," Canas added, smiling. "I must say, it seems rather incredible to know that the Angel of Death has fallen in love."

"Yep," Legault agreed.

"From the stories I read about you," Canas went on, "I thought—and please excuse me for my ignorance—that you would be unable to feel emotion, much less love. But Nino spoke so highly of you, I wondered how those stories could possibly be true." He smiled again. "From what she told me, it seemed as though the Angel of Death was instead a guardian angel."

"Yep," Legault agreed again. "So, Jaffar," he went on, "I think that was what you wanted to hear, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Jaffar replied breathlessly, too excited by the prospect of telling Nino he loved her to be able to speak properly.

"Well, then, go tell her," the thief replied. "Oh, and Jaffar?" he called as the assassin began to stand up. "This time, make sure you actually do it, okay?" he asked, grinning. "Love is the best feeling you can ever experience. Don't pass up the chance you've been given."

Jaffar nodded. "I won't," he replied.

-

Jaffar ran back to the tent he shared with Nino more confident than he had ever been before. Yet even though he now knew, was certain that Nino loved him, a different doubt began to take hold of him as he approached the tent: what if something went wrong? He had never done anything like this before; what would happen if he said something he wasn't supposed to, if he wasn't able to tell her what he wanted?

Then again, he supposed, he could deal with that if it happened. For now, all that mattered was telling Nino that he loved her.

Nino was sitting on her bedroll, staring at the floor sadly. She looked up as Jaffar entered, but her gaze quickly returned to the ground. She looked like she was going to cry.

And any enthusiasm Jaffar had felt disappeared instantly, to be replaced by concern for the young mage. "Nino..." he said softly, soothingly.

She looked up, regarding the assassin for a moment, then spoke. "Why won't you talk to me, Jaffar?" she asked, her voice a despairing whisper. "I just want to know what happened..."

"I...I'm sorry," Jaffar apologized, feeling miserable at his earlier attempts to push the girl away. Slowly, he walked over to his bedroll, sitting down, not caring that he was making it wet from the rain. "I was...afraid..."

"Afraid?" Nino asked, wiping her eyes, taking comfort in the fact that Jaffar was speaking to her now. "Afraid of what?"

"Afraid of how you would react," Jaffar explained somberly. "It was...about my promise to you. I said that I would always...be your friend."

Nervousness was taking hold of him, and more than ever he was fearful that he might say something wrong. Even what he was about to tell her, that he could not keep his promise to remain friends with her, could go drastically awry if he could not explain his reasons immediately afterwards. He would have to be quick.

Nino cocked her head at him, eyebrows arching sadly as though she knew what Jaffar was going to say had to be horrible. "W-...what about that promise?" she asked slowly, as though afraid of the answer she might receive.

The assassin closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, preparing himself for what he had to say. "Nino..." he said softly. "Something has changed. I can no longer keep that promise."

Nino's reaction was instantaneous, too quick for Jaffar to react. She blanched almost immediately, her breath beginning to come in gasps. The edges of her eyes began to sparkle with tears. "W-what?" she whispered in response, refusing to believe what she had heard. "B-but...you promised..."

"Nino," Jaffar responded quickly, before she could start crying. "Please, relax; it's not what you—"

"No!" she suddenly shouted. "You _promised_, Jaffar!" Tears began streaming down her face as she jumped up. "A-am I just a bother to you? You just want to be rid of me, don't you!"

"Nino!" Jaffar said, panicking, trying to calm her down. This wasn't what was supposed to happen! He had to calm her down _now_! "Listen to me—"

"How could you, Jaffar?" she whispered despairingly, paying him no heed. She took a step backwards, then screamed, "_I hate you!_"

Time seemed to freeze at that moment; the words cut into his very soul. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't speak. He was only able to stare helplessly straight ahead, unable to believe what he had just heard. It was just as he had feared. He had said something wrong, and now, instead of Nino knowing his feelings, she hated him...

He barely registered Nino running out of the tent, sobbing as she dashed into the rain. And then, with a jolt, his dream came back to him. It was the same thing: Nino running into the rain, while he remained rooted to the spot, unable to believe what was happening...

Quickly, he jumped up. This was no dream. He could feel, he could move, and he could speak. And he was not going to let Nino get away this time. Not until she knew everything...

-

Racing out of the tent, not caring that the rain was soaking through his clothes, Jaffar caught sight of Nino at the opposite end of the campsite. At first, he thought she was going to run into Legault's tent, but she passed it without breaking stride, running out of the circle of tents. Clearly, she did not want to speak with anyone. She just wanted to get as far away from Jaffar as possible.

But Jaffar was not going to allow that, not as long as she remained ignorant of his love for her. He dashed after the girl, catching up to her quickly, finally getting close enough to reach out and touch her once they were several hundred feet away from the campsite. A wave of despair rushed through him as Nino's sobs reached his ears, but he quickly comforted himself with the fact that those would be ending soon if everything went as he wanted it to.

He lunged for the girl, catching her around the waist, but she was still running and their combined weight sent both of them crashing to the ground, covering their clothes with the dirt and mud the rain had created.

Nino struggled in the assassin's grip, managing to turn herself over as she looked up at her assailant. Jaffar was hit with a vicious blow to his insides as he saw the tears, the pain and hatred in the girl's baby-blue eyes, and it was made even worse by the fact that he knew all of it was directed at _him_. But no. He had to fix what he had done. He didn't care how she was feeling, he had to tell her...

"_Let go of me, Jaffar!_" she screamed as she struggled in his arms. "I—"

"I love you," he whispered.

And then, for a few moments, all that could be heard was the sound of the rain falling.

Nino's sobs stopped instantly. Her eyes widening to the point where it looked like they would pop out of her head, she stared at the assassin silently, her mouth open wide in shock.

"W-what...d-did you say?" she whispered faintly after a few moments.

He stood up slowly, allowing her to do the same, before he repeated the same three little words. "I love you."

Her shock still had not worn off, and she stared up at Jaffar with the same astounded expression. "Jaffar..." she whispered, "d-do y-you...really?"

He nodded slowly. "That is why I cannot keep my promise..." he replied. Silently, he hoped, _prayed_ that Nino was taking this the way he wanted her to.

She continued to stare up at him silently, still unable to speak. Then, finally, she let out an explosive breath. "Oh..." she whispered to herself, shaking her head, tears springing forth anew. Then, quite suddenly, she flung her arms around the assassin, sobbing into his chest, clutching him desperately. "Oh...Jaffar..." she whispered. "I-I'm...so s-sorry. S-so...sorry..."

"W-what...do you mean?" Jaffar asked slowly, returning the embrace, but his mind was filled with terrifying possibilities. Was she apologizing...because she did not feel the same way as he did?

"I-I'm such a-an _idiot_," she admonished herself, still sobbing into the assassin's chest. Then, quite suddenly, she looked up at Jaffar's face, sniffling. "I-I didn't know y-you...oh, Jaffar..."

Jaffar could only return the embrace silently. What did she mean? "Nino..."

She sniffed again, wiping her eyes, trying to stop her tears. "I'm...I-I'm so sorry, Jaffar..." she whispered. "I di—I didn't mean to s-snap at you l-like that...I had no i-idea..."

"Nino, what do you mean?" he insisted. Why was she reacting this way?

The girl wiped her eyes again. "Jaffar..." she whispered, gazing into the assassin's eyes intently. "D-do you r-really...love..."

"I do," he responded resolutely, holding the girl closer, hoping she felt the same way. "I love you, Nino."

And then, the young mage smiled. It was small at first, but it quickly grew ecstatically, and she began to cry again, but this time they were tears of happiness. "Oh, Jaffar..." she whispered, before burying her head in the assassin's chest once again. "I...I love you, too..."

Jaffar didn't know what to do, didn't know how to react. He wanted to laugh, he wanted to cry, he wanted to scream with joy. He did none of those things, but he did something he had never done before.

For the first time in his life, Jaffar, the assassin, the Angel of Death, smiled.

"I thought you were going to leave me..." Nino whispered in a thick voice, as if the mere thought made her sad.

"No," he responded, his voice barely above a whisper. "I could never leave you, Nino." He pulled her closer, marveling at the fact that she held him tighter in return, that she actually loved him. "When this battle has ended...we should...live together," he suggested. More than anything, he wanted to make sure that he would be able to stay with her.

"Yes..." she whispered without a second's hesitation. "Jaffar...don't ever leave me..."

"Never," he vowed. "I could never leave you, Nino..." he repeated.

"Jaffar..." Nino whispered, raising her head from his chest. She stared directly into his eyes. "Please...promise me, Jaffar," she said, as if her entire life depended on it. "You have to promise that you'll never leave. You _have_ to."

"On my honor," he promised. But that was not enough, his honor was not good enough. Not for her. He needed to swear his oath over something that would never, _could_ never fail her. And the answer came to him quickly; it was something that she could depend on with her life, because she herself had helped create it: "On my heart."

And as Nino smiled again, as he smiled again in return, as he drew her little body to his once again, as the rain continued falling on them, Jaffar felt truly at peace.

Legault had not lied. This truly was the most wonderful feeling anyone could ever experience...

* * *

(12:54 AM) Whew! Finally finished it...and just in time for Valentine's Day, too :D I hope the length of the chapter makes up for its lateness...  
So...how was it? Was it good? Was everyone in character? I _really_ like the way this turned out. Hope you do too...  
As always, there will be an epilogue following this chapter, so don't think I'm done yet! But until then... 

Please review!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT


	19. Epilogue

**Note:** I know this chapter was posted twice. Some weird stuff has been happening with email alerts, and I was afraid that not everyone got the alert for this chapter. I know you guys have been eagerly looking forward to the epilogue, so I'm just making sure you guys know it's done :)

Damn...I feel so bad, ending this story. I've been working on it for so long, and it's going to feel weird not writing for it anymore. But, I suppose, all good stories must come to an end...

_Spectral Flame_: Wow. What am I supposed to say to a review like that? Thank you very much :D

_Lao Who Mai_: Thanks for your review!

_K-GForever_: Yep, Jaffar smiled. Who wouldn't, in a situation like that :P

_Hamano Ayumi_: About Ninian and Eliwood...I'm not sure if you've read my other stories, but they all occur during the timeline of the game, and I always try to connect the events of one story to other events in another. At this point in my timeline, Ninian and Eliwood are a couple...sort of. But I still think they would act like the way I portrayed them.

_Ryst_: Actually, it was a complete coincidence that I finished the chapter on Valentine's Day. I had promised myself that the chapter would be done over the weekend, so of course, when it still wasn't done at around 10 PM Sunday, I worked my butt off to get it finished. It just so happened that at around that time, I realized, "Hey, tomorrow's Valentine's Day." So sorry, no hijinx for you :( Thanks for your review!

_AmbieChan_: Wow. Am I on a streak of inspiring other authors now? First hyliansage, then you, then...who knows, LOL. It's really great to know that my stories can do more than simply provide entertainment. Thanks for your review!

_Dracobolt_: Thanks for your review!

_angel white_: Haha. I had a lot of fun writing Jaffar and Legault in the last chapter, even if I did turn the former into somewhat of a dork. :) Thanks for your review!

_FireEdge_: Ah, OK, I see what you're saying about AIM. And thank you for your compliment of the dream! A lot of reviewers didn't seem to mention it...

_foxfiresword_: Thanks for your review!

_Inferno-Hero_: I suppose that's one way to describe the chapter... Thanks for your review!

_Elzie Ann_: You aren't the only one who thought Jaffar was a dork; angel white used the exact same word :P Thanks for your review!

_MagicianFairy_-bows- Thanks for your review!

_erkxserra rule_: What do you think I'm planning to do after this story is finished, stop writing? Of course I'll make more stories. Thanks for your review!

_Hinata2005_: Thanks for your review!

_Merkiel_: I hope that the last chapter didn't set a "standard," because IMO, I feel so good about it that it will be hard for me to surpass it. Thanks for your review!

_Oswin the Nino Fan_: Sorry, I don't do sequels...it's hard to make a new story out of an old one when everything seems tied off at the end of the first one, you know? I do, however, have a one-shot planned about this couple, though I don't think it'll be exactly what you want...

_Dreamer of Riddles_: Haha, since when has there been anything wrong with getting bunches of compliments? Thanks for your review!

_FenixPhoenix_: Thanks for your review!

_Sword of Seals_: Thanks for your review!

_Flaming Soul_: Haha...you're not the only one who's been surprised by my gender. Actually, I pride myself on being a male romance writer :P

_Lemurian 04_: Thanks for your review!

_Icy AngelWings_: Thanks for your review!

_Nocturna-Fire-Demoness_: I should be having a lot of fun with my Kent/Fiora one-shot. Keep your eyes peeled for that one :)

_fire-emblem-girl_: Thanks for your review!

_timmycheese_: Well, I've tried my best to make this a happy ending. Hope you like it :)

_gentleness28_: Well, like I said before, I don't care when you get the picture done as long as it's done in the end. Thanks for your review!

_Kratos Aurion_: You think the end of the last chapter was unsatisfactory? Well, how so? Remember, I can't fix something if you don't tell me what's wrong with it. Just saying it's "unsatisfactory" doesn't tell me anything.

_RemedyTheThief_: Thanks for your review!

_CandaceOman_: Thanks for your review!

_Ragnarok-legend_: Haha, yeah, the Grandia story... Unfortunately, I'm...not sure I'm going to be writing it in the end. A certain reader IMed me and made me realize just how difficult a novelization might actually be. To be honest, I was a bit unsure of writing it in the first place, but this reader finalized it. However, I still have some ideas for other stories, so I'll still be writing! I may still end up doing the Grandia novelization, but I would not get my hopes up. :(

And unfortunately, I must now bring you the...

**Epilogue**

The storm raged outside the small wooden house. Lightning flashed through the windows, strong peals of thunder quickly following, ripping through the night air. The rain beat down on the roof ceaselessly, the noise of its impact drowning out every other sound.

And Jaffar lay wide awake in the small double bed, staring desperately at the mess of bright-green hair visible from under the sheets on the other side of the mattress. It was impossible to see it until the lightning flashed, but in those instants Jaffar was hit with wave after wave of guilt. He didn't want to do this. He had promised her that he would forever remain by her side, and nothing in the world was worse than breaking a vow to the young woman he loved. But it had to be done, despite the enormous price he would have to pay. Her safety was more important than his desires, than his feelings, than his _life_.

Lightning lit up the room once again, and Jaffar took one more look at her, the flash of light seeming to drag on forever as he realized it would be the last time he would ever see her again. Then, as the bedroom was plunged into darkness, he violently wrenched his gaze away. If he stayed any longer, than he would never be able to do what needed to be done.

Slowly, he swung his legs off the bed, moving as quietly as he could. It was impossible to hear anything above the din of the rain, but Jaffar nevertheless was not taking any chances. She could not know of his departure. If she found out what he was trying to do, then she would try to stop him. And as much as he wanted to, he could not stay with her. His very presence was a threat to her safety, and...and any threat to Nino's safety had to be eliminated.

It had been four and a half years since their battles with Eliwood's army had ended. Nino had never been seriously injured again; though she stayed a good distance away from any enemy soldiers with physical weapons, she and Jaffar had discovered during a battle at Castle Ostia that she possessed an amazing resilience against all but the strongest magical attacks. She still disdained fighting, however, but because of her magical resistance and the mental support she provided Jaffar just by being there, Mark had decided to send the assassin into battles against mainly enemy mages, with Nino staying back and giving Jaffar aid if he needed it. Protecting the girl had been all the motivation Jaffar had needed to fight to the absolute best of his ability.

Outside of battle, as well, the two of them had become inseparable. One was never seen without the other; even when Nino was with her girl friends, Jaffar was always by her side. Rebecca seemed to finally get over her prejudice of the assassin and eventually welcomed his presence, but the other females of the battalion still were rather wary of him. Still, however, they appeared to realize that if Nino had fallen in love with him, he couldn't be _too_ bad. Though they did not exactly grow to like the assassin, they never complained about him being there, and Nino was all the happier for it.

His love for the girl finally realized and returned, Jaffar, for the first time in his life, had been happy. Once she had learned that he loved her, Nino had begun to show her affection for the assassin almost spontaneously at times, and nothing delighted Jaffar more that receiving a hug or kiss for no reason at all from the girl he loved. While Jaffar had never been skilled at expressing his feelings for the girl in the same manner, Nino did not seem to mind. The smile that would appear on his face after receiving a gesture of affection from the young mage was all the proof of his love that Nino ever needed.

But as the battles against Nergal drew to a close, a problem had arisen: where he and Nino would live after their travels had ended. The Black Fang was in shambles, and neither of them had a home to go back to. When they had brought this to Eliwood's attention, however, he had quickly provided them with a solution: with his position as the territory's marquess, he could find the two of them a home in one of Pherae's villages. When Rebecca had heard the news, she had been thrilled. She also lived in Pherae and was overjoyed at the idea of living so near her best friend. Their future together already planned, all that remained for Jaffar and Nino had been to live through the final battle against Nergal.

In the end, they had barely participated. While Jaffar's speed and skill as an assassin was unmatched, his strength paled in comparison to the power of the legendary weapons that Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn had carried into the fight. Likewise, Nino's magical power was immense, but it was nothing when compared with the might of the Archsage Athos himself. Jaffar and Nino could do little but hold each other fearfully as they watched the spectacular battle play out before them, hoping that their efforts had not been for naught. But in the end, Eliwood's group had been victorious, and with the danger finally past, Jaffar had been free to dream about his future alongside the girl he loved.

The question of marriage had been somewhat thought about—Nino _was_ quite young, after all—but in the end both he and Nino had come to the decision that they loved each other too much for age to really matter. Their wedding in Pherae had been a simple one, but Jaffar had not cared; the only thing that had mattered to him was that their marriage bound him forever to Nino. Rebecca and the young mage had grown so close over the short time they had spent together that each had chosen the other as her maid of honor, and the sniper had been so thoughtful as to bring her family when she had realized Nino and Jaffar's wedding would be rather sparsely attended. Jaffar, on the other hand, had been without a best man until Legault had appeared seemingly from nowhere and had asked for the responsibility himself, claming that the wedding could never have occurred without his aid. Jaffar had accepted; the thief had been right, after all.

And so their life in Pherae had begun. Their time together had been peaceful, for a time. Both of them had decided it would be best for Jaffar to join the town's militia, where he could put his skills to good use by helping to defend the village they lived in from local bandits. Nino, on the other hand, had found herself employment in the house of one of the village's wealthier inhabitants, working as a serving-girl for a kindly elderly couple. She was happy working there, and Jaffar was happy because she was happy. Neither of their jobs paid exceptionally well, but their combined wages were enough for the two of them to live in relative comfort. They had few luxuries, but that mattered little to them, because they had each other.

But that was when it had begun.

The Black Fang was in shambles; three of the Four Fangs were dead. But the legacy of the Angel of Death lived on, the stories spreading throughout the countryside. And there were those who believed they had the strength to match the Angel of Death, each thinking he would be the one to bring him down.

One of those bounty hunters just so happened to also be a member of the town's militia.

Jaffar had been unsure how he had been recognized, but the bounty hunter had nevertheless discovered his identity. But the hunter, a man that must have been overconfident beyond belief for simply challenging Jaffar, had greatly underestimated the Angel of Death's skill, and Jaffar had struck him down quickly once he had noticed the hunter's attempt to break into the house he shared with Nino.

That, however, had complicated things. Jaffar was a master of concealing the bodies of those he had killed, but the hunter's disappearance would not go unnoticed forever. Even worse, the hunter had most likely given Jaffar's identity and location to others of his kind. If he and Nino continued to live in the Pheraen village, they would most likely continue to be attacked.

So they had to leave.

They told no one of their departure. They had simply packed up and left, moving into another village in the nearby province of Santaruz. Nino did not protest; she seemed to understand that this was going to be a part of her life if she wanted to remain with the man she loved. Yet despite her acceptance, that was when the doubts had begun to set in. It had bothered Jaffar to no end that Nino would be willing to leave the village they lived in without any protests, and he had constantly wondered whether, perhaps, she secretly did not wish to stay with him. Perhaps her love for him was waning, fading because of the circumstances she was in.

And those doubts brought other insecurities. He loved Nino with all his heart and soul, and to him, she was perfect in every way. But he was an assassin, the Angel of Death, and his past crimes were innumerable. She was a shining star, like an angel of light in her purity, and she was the very antithesis of everything he represented. Did he really deserve the privilege of staying by her side? Did _she_ deserve having to remain with a man such as him?

On their very first night in Santaruz, Jaffar had brought those doubts to Nino's attention. Her response had been disbelieving, almost hurt—why would he ever think such a thing? She loved him just as much as he loved her, she had said. She knew that living with him would be difficult, given the bounty hunters always on their trail, and she did not care. She also knew of the crimes he had committed in the past, but she knew he had changed since then, and his past did not matter to her.

Her words had alleviated his insecurity somewhat, but his doubts had still remained. She had been able to see it in his expression, however, and she had told him then, with absolute sincerity in her eyes, that she would rather die than live without him.

Jaffar had thought he would never again experience the sort of joy he had felt when Nino had first told him that she loved him. On that night, however, he had certainly come very close.

Their love for each other, however, would do nothing to stop the merciless bounty hunters that were constantly after Jaffar. No matter where he and Nino took up residence, no matter what he did to conceal his identity, he was always discovered in the end. Sometimes it would take more than a year, sometimes less than six months, but he was always, inevitably, found. When he was, their ritual was repeated: after the hunter was struck down, he and Nino would silently gather their possessions, moving to another village, another province, without a protest from either of them. There was no point in complaining about what fate had dictated for them; their inability to settle in one place was simply a part of their lives. They could not change it, so they had to accept it, and they did.

Their lives had slowly changed as a result of the hunters, as well. The constant threat of Jaffar's capture had made them realize that every day they spent together could be the last, which made them treasure all the more every moment that they shared. They kissed every morning before they left to their respective places of employment, just like any other married couple, but as time wore on, it slowly changed from a perfunctory peck on the lips to a passionate expression of their love for each other, with neither one wishing to let go. They both knew that after they left their home each morning, there was always a chance Jaffar might not come back. As a result, Jaffar and Nino were never at ease while away from their home, away from their loved one. It was only each evening, when they returned, when they saw each other once again, that their fears would dissipate.

Still, despite the fear always in the backs of their minds, they lived together in relative peace, disrupted only by the bounty hunters' attacks. Luckily for them, the four hunters that did work up the nerve to challenge Jaffar in the three years following his travels with Eliwood's battalion were vastly overconfident of their abilities, and the former assassin had been able to strike them down with little effort. In fact, after more than a year and a half had passed since the fourth hunter's attack, Jaffar had begun to think that perhaps his and Nino's troubles with the bounty hunters had finally come to an end.

The fifth hunter had been the worst.

Unlike those before him, this hunter had decided to raid Jaffar and Nino's home in the early evening, instead of the dark of night. He had found only Nino there, however; Jaffar had not yet returned home for the day. Furious, the hunter had demanded to know where the former assassin was, but Nino had fearfully yet defiantly refused to tell him. When the hunter had realized the young sage was not going to provide him with Jaffar's whereabouts, however, he had decided to take his rage out on _her_. Knowing that the girl would not be strong enough to physically resist him, the hunter had thought of a way to potentially cripple Jaffar's emotional defenses, and had attempted to take advantage of Nino.

He might have succeeded had Jaffar not arrived at that very moment and plunged his dagger into the hunter's back, killing him instantly.

White as a sheet, Nino had tearfully collapsed into her husband's arms, muttering to him between sobs how scared she had been, and how thankful she was that Jaffar was there to protect her. He could only hold her close, just as thankful that he had arrived in time.

That had been two months ago. Following that night, Jaffar and Nino had performed their ritual like always, packing up their possessions and moving, this time to the province of Thria. But that was also when doubts had begun to set in again, different insecurities than before.

Before the last hunter had attacked, Jaffar had been under the impression that the bounty hunters would only wish to harm _him_, not Nino. She was not their target, so there was no reason for them to go after her. The events of that evening, however, had brought that impression crashing down, creating a horrifying fear within him. He was not the only one in danger now; Nino was as well...and he was the cause.

And that fear was what had led him to his decision. He had to leave her. For her safety. Her safety was and had always been paramount.

That was why he now stood at the door of the house he shared with Nino, ready to head out into the storm raging outside.

He didn't want to do this. He had promised her that he would forever remain by her side, and nothing in the world was worse than breaking a vow to the young woman he loved. But it had to be done.

His hand rested on the doorknob, and Jaffar was surprised to find that it was shaking. Could he really do this? Could he really leave her?

But that question was never answered, as a voice broke him out of his thoughts, the sweet, melodious voice Jaffar had grown to know and cherish.

"Jaffar." There was none of that sweetness in Nino's voice now.

The former assassin turned to face his wife, instantly besieged by near-paralyzing waves of guilt, knowing his chances of leaving had just gone from small to infinitesimal. He could barely even bring himself to look at her face, so great was his shame. But he did.

She held a lantern in front of her, the soft glow illuminating her body and face. While Jaffar's physical development had already ended by the time he had first met Nino, her body had only begun to mature, and in the four and a half years following their travels with Eliwood's army, Nino had blossomed from a cute, cheerful girl into a breathtaking, serene young woman. She stood taller now, though Jaffar still had several inches on her, and her slender form was clad in a dark blue nightgown. Her hair, however, was still as messy as always—the fact that she had just woken didn't really help—and she still wore her dark blue headband.

Her baby-blue eyes, however, were not filled with the cheery sparkle that Jaffar adored so much. There was no happiness in her face now, but there was no anger, no sadness either. Her face was expressionless, just like her voice.

Jaffar could do nothing but stare at her silently, shamefully.

"You were going to leave," she said flatly. It was not a question.

There was a prickling feeling behind Jaffar's eyes, and he squeezed them shut, trying to block the feeling out. "I...have to..." he replied slowly, knowing it was the truth and at the same time not wanting to believe it. He was going to add, "For your safety," but Nino's reaction to his first words stopped him.

At his reply, Nino's emotionless expression vanished. Her eyebrows arching in sadness and disbelief, she shook her head, never once taking her eyes off Jaffar. "W-what?" she whispered, blinking rapidly. "H-how can you—what do you mean, Jaffar?"

Slowly, the former assassin drew in a breath, letting it out slowly. There was a strange feeling of a lump in his throat, making it hard to speak. The sensation was foreign to him, but he knew it was an effect of his guilt. "I'm..." he whispered, unable to speak any louder, "I'm a...danger to you. To...to your safety."

"Oh, Jaffar..." Nino whispered, setting the lantern on the floor. She took a step forward slowly, then another, and another, faster and faster until she had reached him. She flung her arms around his neck, pressing her head into his shoulder. Jaffar did not return the embrace. "That's—" she whispered despairingly, "—that's not true. You know it's not true. You _know_ it isn't."

He could feel her tears on his shoulder. "Nino..." he managed to choke out through his constricting throat, "the bounty hunters—"

"I don't care about the bounty hunters," she cut him off, raising her head from his shoulder suddenly. Tears streamed down her face freely, and she let them flow, but they had no effect on her voice. She stared directly into his eyes, as though her gaze alone could persuade him to stay. "I don't care if they try to hurt me. I don't—I don't care what they want to do to me. I just want you to stay with me, Jaffar..."

"Nino..." The prickling feeling behind his eyes intensified sharply. "I want you to be safe," he whispered.

"Do—do you think I'll feel safe if you're—if you're not here?" she replied, her voice breaking, a helpless expression slowly making its way onto her face. "Do you think I'm—do you think I'll let you go? I'll—I'll follow you, Jaffar; I don't care w-where you go, I'll find—I'll find you. I want to stay with you, Jaffar...more—more than anything..."

The lump in his throat had grown; it was impossible for him to reply.

"Do you...do you really want to—want to leave?" she asked softly, despairingly. An arm that had been around his neck went up to his face; her hand caressed his cheek. She shook her head. "You can't—you can't want to. You—you promised, Jaffar...you can't want to leave me, you promised..."

And at those words, all restraint within him broke. Letting out a long, sorrowful moan, he threw his arms around her waist, burying his head in the crook of her neck.

Jaffar, the emotionless killer, the unfeeling Angel of Death, was crying.

"I d-don't w-want to," he sobbed, making no effort to stop the first tears of his life. "I-I don't w-want to leave. I-I'd rather die than leave..."

It was the truth; he wanted nothing more to stay with the young woman he loved for the rest of his life. But she had to be kept safe...

Nino rocked back and forth on her feet gently, trying to soothe the former assassin but at the same time hoping that his unprecedented reaction meant he had realized the error of his ways. "Jaffar..." she whispered. It was the only thing she could say, having never been in a situation like this before.

"I-I want you t-to be safe..." Jaffar whispered, his tears unending. "I-If that means...l-leaving you..."

"I-I want—I _need_ you to stay," Nino whispered back, still crying as well. "I don't care about the bounty hunters..."

Jaffar raised his head, staring intently at the young woman he loved, blinking back the tears that were still flowing. He wanted to stay. More than anything in the world, he wanted to stay. "Nino—"

He never finished his sentence, because then, she kissed him.

It was as though her words were not enough, as though this was the only way she could fully express her desire for him to remain with her. He responded to her gesture quickly, pulling her closer, returning the kiss. In that instant, all thoughts of leaving her vanished. She was everything to him; he knew he would be unable to go on living if she was not there by his side. He would not run away from her to keep her safe; he would meet any threat to her well-being head-on, protecting her himself, just like he had when he had first met her so long ago.

He loved her. That would never change, no matter what. He could never leave her.

Nino finally broke the kiss, staring up at Jaffar helplessly. Then she spoke, trying one last time to persuade him to stay.

"I love you," she whispered.

She was an angel. Pure, innocent, and forgiving, so forgiving. Only an angel of light like her could have fallen in love with an angel of darkness like him. How could he have ever doubted her feelings for him? She loved him. And he knew that her love, like his own feelings, would never change.

"I love you too," he whispered.

He did not say anything about staying, but Nino still realized, knew without a doubt that Jaffar was not going to leave her side. She smiled then, serenely. Reaching up, she slowly stretched out her hand and brushed away the tears still remaining on his face. "Jaffar," she whispered, still smiling broadly. "Come back to bed."

He smiled then as well, albeit slowly. "Nino," he whispered. "I'm sor—"

She abruptly raised a hand to his mouth, silencing him. "You don't have to apologize for anything," she said softly, still smiling, wiping away her own tears now. "There's...there's nothing wrong with wanting to protect the one you love."

Jaffar could not think of anything to say to that. So instead, he smiled at her, staring at her silently. She merely smiled back, saying nothing. They stayed like that for some time, smiling at each other silently in the dim light of the lantern. Then, after a few moments, they walked back to the bed they shared, Nino picking up the lantern and putting it out. They kissed once more, reaffirming their love for each other, before getting back into bed, each slowly drifting off to sleep in the other's embrace.

She was an angel of light, he was the Angel of Death. They were complete and total opposites, but at the same time, neither could be more perfect for the other.

The storm continued raging outside, but asleep in each other's arms, the two angels didn't mind at all.

_The End_

* * *

**Afterword**

Is there anything I can really say? After almost six months, _Two Angels_ is finally complete. And I hate it, because out of any couple I've written so far, only Jaffar and Nino have been able to provide me with this much inspiration. It's hard to let go of them...

As always, you, the reviewers, have been the reason that I was able to finish this story. I know that I've been begging recently for more substantial reviews, but even if you left me a review that only read, "This is great," you still have helped to give me the motivation to keep writing. It's an amazing feeling to know that I can make people happy simply by writing what I like to write. :D Thank you, all of you, for supporting me throughout this story and helping to make this hobby so much fun. I wish there was something I could do for all of you, but, well...I can keep writing, if that's any consolation. :)

So what's next, you ask? To be honest, I don't have any definite plans for any multi-chapter stories at this point. Some of you might have noticed in the past my plan for writing a novelization of _Grandia II_, but thanks to an IM conversation with a certain reader, I have become _very_ unsure of it, and I don't think that I'll be writing it in the end. That does not, however, mean I'm going to stop writing by any means. I do still have a few one-shots planned, and after that...well, _Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones_ is coming out soon. There's a whole new source of inspiration. :D

Once again, thank you all, and until next time...

Please review!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT


End file.
